An Amnesiac Hero
by Tony Samuels
Summary: Harry Potter dies after his battle with the Dark Lord but what can Death do when it can't acquire the soul of the Master of Death? Toss him into another universe. In the alternate universe, the boy who lived wakes up from a coma after 9 years. Now how does an amnesiac Harry Potter deal with a world where his parents are alive and a Dark Lord who is still lurking in the shadows?
1. The Death of the Master of Death

**Hello, readers. After finding myself deeply entrenched in the world of Harry Potter fanfiction, I could not help but notice that there were very few stories where entire Potter family was alive and Harry was loved by his family.**

 **The issue with an alternate dimension fic was that if someone had the knowledge and power of an adult who defeated the dark lord, then the fic would be inefficacious. The story could never reach its potential with an overpowered character.**

 **So, this is going to be an alternate dimension fic with an intelligent but not God like Harry. He wouldn't have the entire memories of his previous life from the beginning but the memories would ensue with time. The Potter family relationships would be just fine and normal. I'm not sure about the pairings but it definitely won't be Harry/Hermione or Harry/Luna or Harry/Ginny. I favor Fleur or Daphne.**

 **The previous life of Harry Potter would be different from that of canon. Don't get confused. The story about his past would reveal itself with time.**

 **Disclaimer: I roamed through the jungles made of words, stumbled upon the roots of knowledge, drifted through the waters of wisdom and witnessed the wonders of imagination. But still, I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **Plot: Harry Potter, the** _ **Master of Death**_ **dies after the battle with the Dark Lord but what could Death do when it can't acquire the soul of the Master of Death? Toss him into another universe. In the alternate universe, the boy who vanquished the Dark Lord wakes up from a coma, 9 years after the fall of Dark Lord. Now how does an amnesiac Harry Potter deal with the world where his parents are alive and the dark lord is still lurking in the shadows?**

* * *

The blinding expanse of white did nothing to alleviate his displeasure at the being who was currently towering over him, wearing a black tattered cloak which was gently swaying even though there was no wind in the vicinity. The countenance of the being was obscured by a black swirling mask, though he was not sure whether there was anything beyond the mask. The entire guise of the being reminded him of a dementor but he couldn't find the bony, glistening, decayed hands which accompanied the appearance and, the cold rattling breath was definitely missing.

"We meet again, Harry Potter", the being who introduced itself as _Death_ the last time they met, rasped in a surprisingly mild tone. Something he did not expect given the circumstances which resulted in this meeting. The hood covering its face made it impossible to perceive what the being was thinking. "I presumed that we would not be having another conversation."

"Not my intention", Harry replied as he raised his hands in a placating gesture and shook his head. "But I guess that I should have expected that something like this could happen after enacting the binding ritual."

'I wouldn't be surprised if they can't even find my body', he thought with a sigh and a wry smile made its way onto his face.

The binding ritual invented by himself using the concept of magical oaths and contracts employed in the wizarding world was the only method to detach the connection between the ubiquitous magical field or flux present in the universe and the magic which exists within the core of a magical being.

Any magical being affects the magical field present around him with the use of his own magical core to produce the desired effect. The ritual binds the magical core of a being thereby obliterating the only connection present between the core and the magical field.

The most important notion required to operate with rituals was the law of equivalence: To gain anything, you need to sacrifice something of equal value.

To bind the magic of a being, one should sacrifice their own magic as an equivalent exchange for the ritual to work. The fact that he needed to bind his magic in order to kill the Dark Lord elucidated the extent to which Tom Riddle went to ensure his immortality.

As he stood in front of Death, he couldn't even the sense the overwhelming oppressive aura of the omnipotent being. This just confirmed his hunch that he had lost his magic.

The binding ritual was something that was as abstract as magic itself and the odds of dying a painful death were quite high. His way of life had made it hard for him to fear something as inevitable as death and he was willing to use the ritual as a last resort.

 _'The only people who should kill are those prepared to die themselves.'_

But as he contemplated about where he was right now, it seemed as though he was not as successful as he imagined at dying.

'Nothing is ever simple and normal when it concerns you, Potter', the words of his first friend echoed through his mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before they ventured into uncomfortable territories.

"Do you have any idea regarding why I'm _here_?" Harry asked as he glanced at his surroundings. He woke up from what he felt like an induced coma, only to find himself lying naked on a white surface, looking up to a sky formed out of smoke. The clothes had materialized from a thought and just when he was about to abandon his pursuit to find someone, _Death_ appeared.

He envisioned a different scenario for the afterlife, not the white expanse, to which his bright emerald eyes were still trying to adjust. Either the gods severely lack imagination or he was not actually in the afterlife. His meager common sense favored the latter.

His speculations as to why he failed at kicking the bucket, this time, were not leading to any logical conclusions at the moment. Apparently, Death should be the one taking care of these things. Looks like he failed at doing his job. Again.

"Yes", Death rasped in a monotone that never failed to grate on his nerves. "I do have a theory".

The awaited explanation did not come forth even after a minute and he stared pointedly at Death with raised eyebrows. Eventually, Death nodded as though he promptly understood what I was trying to convey. Evidently, having no conversations with humans for centuries had stunted the social skills of the being.

Death hovered its palm in the air and, with an ominous black light, it conjured three objects out of thin air. The three objects hovered above him and it didn't even take a second for him to recognize them.

 _A wand, a stone, and a cloak._ _The Deathly Hallows._

"The three Hallows have been separated during their genesis and they continued to be segregated for centuries. Anyone who unites the three Hallows eventually becomes the _Master of Death,_ if they have the courage and willpower to embrace Death. You had wholly accepted death while performing the ritual and thus became the Master of Death". The being tried to impress the gravity of the statement with a brief pause at this statement. The billowing cloak accentuated the dour tone and Harry felt rattled in spite of himself. "The Master of Death is able to conquer Death itself."

"Are you implying that I am not dead at this moment?" he inquired, unable to interpret any other conclusion from this hypothesis.

"No. You have died. No magical being who delved too deep into magical theories can survive the binding of their core. Had you been someone possessing a small magical core or had the extent to which you can affect the magical flux had been normal, you would have just lost your ability to use magic or in your wizarding terms, you would have become a Squib. But unfortunately, that was not the case. The laws of magic cannot be violated by mere humans."

Here the Death chuckled, emitting a deep bone-rattling noise that sent an aggravating chill down his spine and, any humor he could have found in this situation vanished with that. " _But the_ _Master of Death is no mere human."_

"Am I right in assuming that this current predicament is due to me being the Master of Death?" He anticipated an interesting twist and this definitely did not disappoint. Voldemort spent his lifetime searching for ways to conquer death when he can find it in a children's bedtime book. The irony brought an amused smile to his face. Had Voldemort had a grave, he would definitely be rolling in it.

"As I have asserted in my previous declaration, the laws of magic cannot be violated by mere humans. But the Deathly Hallows are beyond the realm of magic and mortality. So, right now we are in a quandary. A paradox if you want to be more precise. You cannot die but you cannot live", Death informed in a displeased tone that spoke volumes about this situation. "And before you ask, No. I have never encountered any such situation but I do have a vague idea regarding what we could do."

Harry ran a hand through his messy hair in a distressed fashion as he normally did when aggravated. The fact that he could still find himself in such infuriating situations even after his death did nothing to assuage his exasperation.

Death continued, regressing its tone from displeased to the ever present monotone, "Your soul cannot attune to this universe", the black cloak covering its hand altered into an index finger "but there are many universes in this realm, a multiverse as you mortals call it. I could send your soul to a universe where a similar soul does not exist, that is, the universes where you are not born or where you have died."

Harry glared at the hooded being despite being aware that it was not going to affect it in any way. After devoting his entire life to thwart an evil megalomaniac dark lord from conquering the world, he can't even obtain a peaceful death. "Is this what I have to do for the rest of _eternity_? Traverse from a universe to another universe to vanquish dark lords?" Harry shouted, throwing up his hands in a fit of unquenchable rage.

Death merely shook his head, his hood made a to and fro motion as a result and grabbed the three hallows, which were still hovering in the air, in one hand. "You are the Master of Death in this Universe. If you can manage to unite the Hallows in the next universe and conquer Death once again, then you would be the master of Death of that universe. Every Universe present in the multiverse has its own set of Deathly Hallows and the people wielding the Hallows could be different from your universe."

Death glided the other hand over the Hallows and, they vanished in the same way they appeared. "As I have mentioned, your soul cannot exist in this universe by abiding the laws of magic but you can survive in any other universe. What can you infer from this?"

"Every Universe is independent of other Universes?" he answered as he shrugged his hands and tilted his head to his left in a manner that was proclaimed to be his thinking pose by his friends. Dead friends, he reminded himself.

"Precisely", Death nodded, something Harry deduced from the up and down motion of its hood, "while the Tom Riddle in this universe grew up to become a dark Lord, the Tom Riddle in some other universe could be the Headmaster of Hogwarts while Dumbledore is the Dark Lord. You cannot form you opinions from your past life."

Harry had a growing suspicion which intensified after hearing that _Tom Riddle,_ the crazy bastard who owed to raze _Hogwarts_ to the ground could be the Headmaster. "It would be an absolute mayhem with my past memories getting muddled up with my new ones. Do you want a pandemonium to erupt every time I jumble up my memories?" he remarked in a deceptively calm tone while trying to quell his annoyance. The image that stemmed up when he thought about his 'would be' predicament reminded him of the time when Dudley – his oaf of a cousin – and his hoodlum gang chased a poor chicken in the streets for an hour. The fate of the chicken was not for the weak willed minds.

He would have throttled the hooded bastard if he could get away with it.

"That would be an interesting scenario but no. The Universe, I am going to toss you to, is predominantly similar when you compare the general framework but there are some minor disparities", Death responded, its voice emulating an urgent tone," I cannot explain the entire situation since your soul can't stay in this realm much longer."

Harry could already feel his outline blurring at the edges – this reminded him of the memory of Tom Riddle from the diary; The see-through body, like a misted window – but unlike Tom Riddle, his countenance was getting hazier with each passing moment.

"The James and Lily Potter of this world are alive because your grandmother, Eveline Evans, was the one at Godric's Hollow at that time. Your parents got an emergency call from the order due to an attack at the Longbottom's. Barty Crouch Jr poly juiced as Voldemort, attacked the Longbottom manor, accompanied by Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers. The Order got deceived while Voldemort attacked Godric's Hollow."

Harry conceded that this was a better plan in contrast to what Voldemort did in his world. It seemed like this Tom riddle was less crazy and more cunning.

' _It would be an Interesting game', the crazy side of his mind speculated._

"The repercussion of this situation was that the love of a grandmother was a less potent factor than the love of a mother in the ritual your mother used ", Death uttered as his hooded hand altered into an index finger once again, " as a result, the killing curse reflected back onto the Dark Lord, but even Harry suffered the consequences."

"Are you insinuating that Harry of this world died?" Harry was not sure whether this consequence was a good thing or a bad thing and he ruthlessly quashed the urge to run a hand through his hair. "Don't you think that it's going to be strenuous, explaining to people about how I came back to life?"

"He did not die but he is going to", a gloomy chill spread through the vicinity at this statement – 'is Death sad that this Harry is going to die?' Harry thought to himself – "His soul and body led a painful existence till now. He was in a coma but his body is getting weaker with each passing day and today his soul would finally leave his body", Death informed in a grave manner. "You would be doing this world a favor by taking his place."

"It's not as though I have much choice", Harry muttered, his tone not unpleasant, taking a soft hue, "and it could be a good thing that he is in a coma. I wouldn't have to confuse between his memories and mine."

"Ah, about the memories, you wouldn't retrieve all your memories at the same time. The human mind cannot bear the pressure of the sudden influx of all the memories of an adult and your new body had been in a coma for nine years." He could have sworn that Death sounded sheepish at that moment but he couldn't be sure because he was busy contemplating ways to strangle Death using its own cloak.

"The body wouldn't have had proper nutrition for the brain to have a healthy growth. You would die the moment your entire memories reach your mind. The best I could guarantee at this stage is that you would gradually regain your memories with time. But I'm sure you would have your basic instincts for things you encounter as the basic instincts and feelings of a human are ingrained in their souls."

Before he could have had the chance to use the string of swear words he had gathered during his short life span at the hooded git, no matter the consequences, he was whisked away by what he felt like a side along apparition done by Hagrid.

 _That would be one memory I would sincerely like to forget._

And the last words he heard before he lost consciousness were, "Do not fret, Harry Potter. This would not be our last conversation."

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 **Author's Note: That's one important chapter done. If you have any qualms or suggestions regarding my writing style or the story, please** **Review.** **This is my first fanfic, so feel free to suggest or criticize.**

 **Thank You.**


	2. And the rest is History

**Hello, Readers. The theories concerning the magical theories are explained in brief in the first chapter and more info regarding them will be posted in the upcoming chapters as I cannot elucidate the theories without divulging the story about his past.**

 **Equal and unbiased importance will be given to both Fleur and Daphne and they will be introduced in a few chapters. Don't be worried about the pairings for now.**

 **This chapter primarily focuses on the Potter family.**

 **Many humorous scenarios can be created by using the Marauders, not including Pettigrew (He was never a true Marauder) and I'm intent on implementing that.**

 **Disclaimer: A million thoughts fly through our mind but a few reach the heart, a million words written but a few reach our sight and a million characters created but a few reach our dreams. Worthy are those who accomplish this. Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Lily was never the one to brood. Her fiery disposition couldn't tolerate that. But contemplating the events transpired on Halloween, 1981, became a daily routine for her. Unhindered by work or people. The people around her got accustomed to her absent-minded behavior. Well, everyone but James, Sirius, Remus and a whole lot of people who used to know her during her Hogwarts days.

The Lily they had known was diligent, perceptive and above all, content. Her passionate personality was one of her defining traits, captivating the people around her and her fiery temper was acknowledged to be the bane of James Potter - the resident prankster, a fervent fanatic of Lily Evans - and his group of miscreants, the Marauders. To say that the Marauders only feared Lily Evans in the entire Hogwarts – including the Deputy Headmistress _Minerva McGonagall_ – was not an exaggeration. The Lily they had known would never curb her feelings for years, burying herself in her work at the Department of Mysteries, her meager emotions manifesting only when she was at home.

 _But the Lily they used to know did not lose her child of 15 months to a Dark Lord._

Halloween was never a joyous occasion for the Potter family, the adults lost in their own trips down the memory lane, contemplating the 'what if's' and the children, unable to decipher the thoughts running through the minds of the adults, but equally morose. For them, Halloween was the day their brother fell sick and did not wake up.

The only conventional occurrence on Halloween was a trip to St Mungo's, where Lily spent the rest of the day in the ward 373, sometimes accompanied by James and Sirius but mostly alone, before visiting the graveyard where her mother and father were buried, in a catatonic state. It's an unmentioned rule in the Potter family to not disturb Lily on Halloween; The scar she gave James when he tried to rebuke her for her morose behavior was still visible on his left bicep. (He did not let it fade, for it felt like a symbol of his wife's heartache)

She narrated the events of the entire year to her eldest son, despite his unresponsive state, running her quivering hand on his frail and sickly form, tears rolling down her face; her thoughts unrelated to the words coming out of her mouth. She could never glance at his face without evoking her memories of that night. She could still vividly remember the events that had transpired on the night of the Halloween, 1981, the day she lost two of her closest family. The day Lily Evans truly comprehended the cruelty of this world.

* * *

 **October 31, 1981**

Lily was ascending the stairs to the nursery, where her husband James and her son Harry are currently wreaking havoc, unimpeded by the gloomy atmosphere present in the wizarding world due to the dark Lord. She always felt that she had to handle two children instead of one but she wouldn't have it any other way.

One would guess that hiding from a megalomaniac Dark Lord who was hell bent on killing you would be a grueling task for anybody, but Lily never felt the unquenchable urge to throw things at the wall out of frustration. She had a time-consuming Department of Mysteries research; which she could manage from home, but her high spirits were because of her exuberant husband and his ever excited friends and the most important person in her little world, her Harry.

A collaboration of James with Sirius and Harry was enough to make her day bright, with Remus in tow to keep them in line and confine their mischief. But the only hitch in their daily routine these days was the consistent absence of Remus; which ensued the growing suspicion on their kindred werewolf. She could never fathom the notion of the Marauders suspecting their own.

She entered the familiar nursery of her son only to find it completely and astoundingly foreign, which she reckoned, shouldn't be the case as she was a frequent visitor. Each wall was painted with a multitude of colors, different kinds of asymmetrical figures strewn all over the place including the floor and the ceiling. In the middle of all this complete pandemonium was James, his face no different from the walls but unlike the inanimate walls, he had a euphoric smile planted on his face.

In his hands was something she could only describe as a blob of paint with arms and legs – ' _Oh my God, it's Harry', the rational and logical part of her mind shouted, while her ethical part billowed, 'This mandates Corporal Punishment'._

"What do you think you're doing?" Was all she managed, before her fiery temper leaped to the front and her wand automatically found its way to her hands. "Tell me one acceptable reason to not hex your bits into powder at this instant."

James either did not hear her or he had somehow found enough courage to battle Voldemort with his hands tied behind his back because the stupid smile did not wane from his face and, in fact, it only got bigger.

"I was teaching him to paint and guess what, he is Legendary, with a capital L. The dog like thing to your left, that's our Padfoot and the thing just below it, the pig-wolf is Remus. He undoubtedly inherited his skills from his father", James turned to Harry; his smile altered from stupid to proud and, Harry, who was still wiggling his hands, smudging the paint all over James's robe, giggled, waving his tiny hands as he spilled more paint onto the floor. "See, even Prongs Jr agrees."

The wand in Lily's hand emitted a few angry red sparks and altered into a light orange after glancing at Harry's cute smile before reverting back to their blazing red color. "Then how did the paint reach the ceiling?" She was planning on clarifying her few queries before hexing her moronic husband once they are away from Harry's innocent eyes. No matter the situation, Lily will always be Lily.

The vacuous smile came back to his face with unmatched vigor and his eyes sparkled in a Dumbledore-esque way, "I gave him my wand. He is a natural at waving that thing around", came the effortless reply; the reply that managed to break the walls of the dam.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR HALF-WITTED MIND? WHO GIVES A WAND TO A 1 YEAR OLD, YOU IMBECILE", Lily blustered and James finally noticed the sparkling wand in her hand and subtly positioned himself behind Harry, who was immensely enraptured by the sparklingly wand, his little hands preoccupied in a vain pursuit to catch the sparks.

Before Lily could shoot a hex, an extremely painful one that was rolling on her lips, the doorbell rang. She brought down her anger to a moderate level with great resolve, before subtly throwing a painful stinging hex at James's head.

"I need this room to look like a typical nursery before I return" she demanded in a deceptively sweet tone before making her way down the stairs. James took an audible gulp, stroking his forehead at the place where the hex hit with one hand and gingerly placed Harry on the floor with the other hand. Harry seemed vaguely disappointed at the disappearance of the sparkling wand and his big, emerald eyes roamed all over the room for any stray sparks.

'There are only seven people who have access to their home at Godric's Hollow at this moment and only one of them uses a doorbell', Lily thought with a smile as she headed to the door. She gently opened the door, the wand still in her hand but not in an attacking position.

The woman on the other side of the door was in her mid-fifties, her once vibrant red hair was completely replaced by thinning gray hair, with imperceptible wrinkles making their way onto her aging face due to her husband's death and the estrangement of her elder daughter. Despite all this, Evelyn Evans always had an incessant kind smile on her face.

Lily positioned her wand between the brows of the woman, "What is my middle name?"

"I warned Robert that you would hate the name 'Charlotte' but he was always the one for conventional names", Evelyn replied, shaking her head slowly in a 'what can I do' way. "But yours was way better than Petunia's. I would never know how anyone can name their child 'Barbara'."

"I'm certain that you didn't even try to reprimand him", Lily remarked, her wand returning back to her pocket, "Our suffering only seemed to amuse you and dad. I used to suspect that you and dad came up with these names on a whim until I found out dad's middle name. Naming their child 'Hansel' was outright cruel."

"The Evans's were always a deranged lot and I'm glad that you did not inherit that madness" Evelyn agreed, sauntering into the Hall. "God only knows what Petunia named her child after marrying that oaf of a man."

The name 'Petunia' dimmed the bright smiles on their faces; for the estrangement of Petunia from their family would always be a soft topic for both of them. "Don't you think that pointing a wand at anybody who enters your gate seems rude?" Evelyn inquired, attempting to divert the topic before they wander onto uncomfortable matters.

"Desperate Situations. Desperate Measures, Mom", Lily replied with a rueful smile on her face. "But don't fret. The atmosphere inside is far from gloomy, even rambunctious at times and I have two children to keep in line. So you can settle down until then."

Evelyn couldn't help but feel content as she watched the rueful smile on her daughter's face refine into a bright, cheerful one at the mention of her family. If anyone deserves a happy life then it would be Lily. "You are not keeping me any longer from meeting my grandchild, Young lady. It has been months since I have seen the little tot."

Evelyn and Lily mounted the stairs, discussing trivial topics, enjoying the mere company of each other, the smiles never leaving their faces. Lily cast a subtle glance through the keyhole on the door to ascertain the situation in the nursery. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the walls and the floor in their natural light blue color. She unceremoniously opened the door, her spirits lifted due to the decent state of the room, only to find Harry and James still covered in paint. She was about to admonish James when her mother gave a loud chuckle from her side and Lily giggled in spite of herself.

James gave a one-handed shrug, the other hand running through his hair with his head tilted to his right, his expression sheepish. "I cannot proclaim myself to be innocent in this but Harry performed a bit of accidental magic and now I cannot remove the paint from by body." As a testament to his statement, he made a wand motion for the Vanishing Charm ( _Evanesco)_ but nothing happened. He attempted to do the same to Harry but Lily abruptly seized the wand in his hand.

"Did you forget the Rule no 3? No spells on Harry till he reaches five", Lily warned, giving back his wand. Harry, who was innocently observing the events transpiring in the room as he tried to copy the head motions of the adults, was elegantly lifted into the air by a pair of soft hands. He twisted his head to gaze into a pair of warm, blue eyes, partly obscured by a fringe of gray hair and he raised his hands to snatch the fringe but he was lifted higher, away from the reach of the hair. He was about to pout, giving in to the urge of his lower lip when a soft kiss was planted on his tummy, eliciting a set of giggles from him.

James rose from his position on the floor, before bowing low enough that his chest was parallel to the floor. "I was intent on reaching out for a hug, but I'm certain that you would not appreciate it at the moment", he remarked, gesturing at his robes. "So, I beseech thy presence to forgive my ignorant soul, O' honorable Mother in Law."

Evelyn calmly took a step forward, taking off a hand from her grandson, extending it towards her son in law, engulfing both James and Harry in a three-way hug. "Oh, Your Kindness knows no bounds, Evelyn", James proclaimed, nodding fervently in an effort to look innocent. Harry, still failing in his pursuit of the fringe, emulated his father and swiveled his head, his eyes now alternating between the fringe and the necklace around Evelyn's neck. He made a final effort and waved his hand at the necklace, ultimately succeeding, his little hands now the proud owners of a shiny ornament. He wasted no time in plunging it into his mouth, pleased at his success. But the drooping eyelids were a proof of the fading ebullience.

Evelyn chortled at the antics of his grandson, certain that her daughter was not exaggerating when she described the frolic antics of her husband and son. She was about to coax Harry into taking a bath, when she heard someone making a racket in the Hall. Lily and James dashed down the stairs to the hall, their eyes roaming all over the place with a wand in hands before they spotted the face of Sirius in the fireplace.

"James, Lily, it is Voldemort. He is attacking the Longbottom manor with Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers in tow and I don't think that the wards can hold for long. The Order is mobilized but it's evident they wouldn't be enough to deal with Voldemort himself. I'll be at your door in a moment, get ripe for the battle", Sirius hollered, before his face disappeared from the fireplace, not waiting for a response. James glanced at Lily, who was rubbing her forehead with a hand on her waist, and shook his head at the antics of his brother in all but blood.

"Mom, it's an emergency. Take Harry to the nursery and don't come out, no matter the situation", Lily warned, kissing Harry on the forehead before striding out of the door with James.

"What Lily said", James parroted, not caring about the paint, "and prongs Jr", his expression stern for the first time today and Evelyn could see the Auror her daughter married "Be safe."

Sirius was waiting for them, pacing in front of the gate, running his hand through his hair with one hand and twirling his wand with the other. He halted in his steps when he saw them approach and a roguish grin made its way onto his face at the sight of James.

"Did you take a dive through a rainbow this morning? Excellent tint but bad imitation", Sirius chuckled, turning to Lily, "But I must concede Lily flower that your Husband's atrocious fashion sense has improved since his Hogwarts days", Sirius finished with a sage nod that wouldn't look out of place on a priest.

" _Shut Up, You unshackled mutt"_ , James retorted, his lips quirking at the corners in a half smile before he apparated with Lily to the Longbottom Manor with a cackling Sirius in tow.

They appeared with a pop and found themselves surrounded by a group of witches and wizards with a multitude of spells flying in the air and people running all over the place while dueling with Death Eaters. All the people in the vicinity turned to new arrivals, their eyes zeroing on James and the barrage of spells was ceased for a moment. "Why are you covered in paint?" Frank posed the single query running through the minds of the people.

James gave a withered sigh with his hand gesturing towards Voldemort. "There's Voldemort in your backyard and there's paint on my body. WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT?" he all but bellowed, raising a shield to deflect a curse, courtesy of Rodolphus.

The battle that ensued after the declaration, ceased only when Dumbledore entered the battlefield.

"You are not Voldemort", Dumbledore proclaimed after a few seconds into the battle; his nimble movements halted to a stop with his wand no longer transfiguring and conjuring things with a speed achieved only by a few in history. "Your aura is weak. I assumed that you were merely holding back but even minute amounts of magical power of Voldemort has an oppressive essence, rivaled by none."

The not-Voldemort lowered his wand, emitting a rattling sound of laughter, "You are all cretins. Simpletons who foolishly believed that you can match the power and wit of the Dark Lord, the heir of Salazar Slytherin. All your efforts are futile under the might of the Dark Lord.", the visage of the wizard slowly transformed into that of Barty Crouch Jr, the red pupils altered to blue while the brown hair altered into a light blonde.

"The Dark Lord has no equals, not even your precious Dumbledore or the prophecy child, Harry Potter", he snarled. At the name Harry Potter, Lily let out a loud gasp, heart thundering in her chest.

"Fooled by a mere Polyjuice Potion", he cackled, his body shaking with mirth. The Death Eaters disapparated after the proclamation; aware that they cannot win this battle at the moment but successful in their mission.

' _The Dark Lord will be pleased',_ Bellatrix thought, with a skip to her steps while a deranged smile played on her lips.

A silence ensued which was eventually broken by the sounds of an apparition. James and Lily apparated out to Godric's hollow in a jiffy, followed by the remaining members of the order, their heartbeat resounding in their ears.

 _ **At the cottage**_

Voldemort pleasantly strolled down the pathway after blasting the gate out of its hinges while twirling his wand between his long, pale fingers; his cold red eyes observed every nook and cranny for unforeseen surprises. He found none.

The cottage was conventional with the walls coated in a light green color, a small scale garden on the front, the fencing immaculate despite the numerous plants hovering over it, draping the walls with their dwindling vines. The lawn was in pristine condition, as though it's regularly maintained. ' _Must be what they do, sitting at home all day', he smirked._

He gazed through the window beside the door, but he did not perceive any presences. _'The plan worked perfectly',_ Voldemort thought; not that he anticipated the Light side to show an ounce of intelligence or cunning, but the Dark Lord never took chances.

 _Perfection doesn't mean perfect actions but appropriate actions in an imperfect world._

A simple Alohomora took care of the door _, '_ Imbeciles. Investing all their trust on a single charm'.

' _And they can't even do it right', he mused, a smirk on his pale, marble -like visage. 'If these people are the saviors of the Wizarding World, then I dread the fate of the so-called Light Side.'_

He swaggered down the Hallway looking for any presence but when no one appeared with a trembling wand in their hand, he released a disappointed sigh and marched up the stairs to the nursery while shaking his head at the folly. He detected only two presences in the nursery; of that of a muggle and a magical child.

' _A mere muggle to safeguard the prophecy child from Voldemort?' he brooded over the fact, affronted in spite of himself. 'They would comprehend the might of my power today when I lay the entire Godric's hollow to waste with flames of Fiendfyre.'_

' _At least I wouldn't be compelled to kill the mud blood and deal with the aftermath if Severus throws a fit', he concurred after pondering over it for a moment._

He burst into the nursery to find a muggle woman guarding the crib of a child with a daring look on her face. He unheedingly cast an _Avada Kedavra;_ the pallid green curse lighted up the poorly lit room for a moment and the woman lay dead at his feet before she can even blink. _'Bravery is the kindest word for stupidity.'_

He advanced over her dead body to the blue, wooden crib, raising his yew wand once again when –

' _Is that paint?'_ was his first coherent thought with _'These Potters are lunatics'_ as the close second when he observed the prophecy child laying in the crib. ' _He's having a delightful sleep when I'm waging a war at the wizarding world.'_

' _Their lack of apprehension at this situation is rapidly getting annoying', he conceded to himself, the killing curse automatically rolling on his lips. 'They would pay for their folly.'_

' _Avada Kedavra',_ he bellowed in a theatrical fashion and his normally cold eyes bulged out of his sockets when the curse rebounded . In the midst of excruciating pain and agony, his predominant thought was, _'I am bested by a paint smeared child sleeping in a crib. Merlin, if that isn't lame then I don't know what is_.'

The entire area surrounding the nursery was demolished with fires catching to the flammable items, engulfing everything in their way. The bindings along the walls trembled due to the tremendous backlash of the Soul and Blood Magic. The small region around the crib was solely unaffected, the life force utilized in the blood magic ritual protecting the area from the repressive potency of the soul magic, but the center of the crib, being the point to which the soul magic was directed, crumbled, taking down Harry along with it.

A lightning bolt shaped cut formed on Harry's forehead due to the shattered edges of the crib's wood with the blood dripping from the cut acting as a conductor for the external soul magic in the area. The weakened soul part of Voldemort exploited the inherent magic present in the blood, finding its way into the body of Harry.

The conflict that ensued between the soul of Harry Potter and the Soul of the Dark Lord exhausted the rather small magical core of baby Harry, further weakening the link between his soul and his body, which resulted in the comatose state of his body. Had the blood magic that emanated from the ritual had been potent enough, then it would have aided the magical core of Harry for his soul to subdue the soul of the Dark Lord. But unfortunately, that was not the case and Harry had to bear the repercussions.

 _ **Outside the cottage**_

The state in which they found the cottage did nothing to assuage their fears, with half the cottage demolished while fires rapidly spread from one part to the other.

Despite all this, Lily ran into the house and rushed up the stairs with a speed that would have put trained Aurors to shame. The lifeless body of her mother was the first straw and when she glanced at the collapsed crib, her heart sank with thick tears flowing down her beautiful face. James and Sirius fell into step with her, enveloping her from both sides, their tears filled eyes solely resting on the shattered crib.

In the midst of all the rubble was her son, seemingly lifeless with his eyes closed as though he was merely sleeping, with blood dripping down from his forehead. Crying silently, she wobbled onto the floor, lifting the pale and frail body of her bleeding son into her hands and then suddenly she felt something that jolted her out of her misery. Heart Beat.

Unmindful of the rubble around her, she twisted around and bolted down the stairs. "Dumbledore, summon the healers. I can hear his Heartbeat. A Heartbeat!" Lily hollered, holding her baby snugly in her arms.

Dumbledore dashed to the fireplace with an agility that belied his age, threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and shouted 'St Mungo's' before disappearing. He reappeared a minute later – during which Lily was contemplating of ways to choke Dumbledore with his own beard if he doesn't appear in the next moment – with a triad of healers in tow – she decided that she can forgive him for now – who wasted no time in taking out their wands and waving it all over the prone body of her son.

She almost shouted, ' _No spells on Harry till he's five'_ before she suppressed her motherly instincts. They conversed among themselves, arguing at some points before they calmed down and rubbed their hands in a strained manner. ' _I sense grave news.'_

"A killing curse was cast on him, the effects evident from the traces of dark magic on his body. I have no idea regarding how he survived but his magical core is unstable at this moment with the steadily replenishing magical core, rapidly getting consumed by his soul", one of the Healers informed, unperturbed by the sudden rise of murderous intent in the hall at the mention of the Killing curse. "As long as his magical core doesn't get exhausted, his soul can thrive but the body will be gradually weakened, reducing the mind to an insentient state."

"Cut this medical crap and describe it in plain English", Sirius growled, his quick temper coming into play, "and don't make me repeat it."

"S-sure", the healer replied as he backed away from Sirius. "He is currently in a comatose state and we believe that he would never wake up."

The statement sapped the rage out of Sirius in a moment and a lot of people present in the hall gasped, their eyes widening at the unexpected news. James swayed in his place, falling to the floor beside Lily.

Lily only heard snippets of the other conversations, vaguely hearing the words, ' _take him to St Mungo's', 'We can never be sure', 'permanent stay'._ The words 'Coma' and 'Never wake up', incessantly ringing in her ears. She wanted to scream at them to shut up, shout for the world to hear that her son would be fine, that the ringing in her ears was just because she was exhausted but her body was unresponsive to her thoughts.

She couldn't feel the cold tears rolling down her face or hear the sobbing of her husband and Sirius beside her. The darkness at the corners was slowly creeping towards her, filling her sight and the sounds in the room dimmed with each passing moment.

The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was the frail body of her son in the arms of a sobbing James.

* * *

The Healers declared that he would never recover, as his soul, whose connection to his body has been detached due the killing curse, was unable to readapt to his body.

The Killing Curse was one of the darkest of the Soul Magic as it solely affected the soul without making any impression on the body and no soul could reattach to the body after it's detached from the body. But incomplete Soul Magic generally led to imminent death and in some rare cases, the soul endeavored to reattach to the body and the symbiosis was achieved by devouring the magical core of the magical being.

As long as the magical core does not deplete, the soul could retain its connection but once the magical core was exhausted, the person dies.

 _This was the prevailing predicament of the victim in the ward 373, his own soul consuming his depleting magical core. The ward of Harry James Potter, the vanquisher of the Dark Lord._

The Healers conceded after his 10th birthday that he only has a few months to live, as his magical core cannot sustain any longer. Now the ward 373 comprises of a bed and two wooden chairs for visitors with walls bleached a light blue color, the blemishes cleaned and the floor, an immaculate white.

Lily felt that the Healers were subtly trying to indicate that there was an oncoming funeral by giving the room a vacant and uninhabited appearance. This entire scenario regarding her son reminded her of that of a martyr, raised to sacrifice for the sake of the world.

' _I would never allow my children to be Martyrs for the Greater Good',_ she decided, holding the frail hand of her eldest son.

She was about to rise from her seat beside her son to visit the graveyard where her parents were buried when his fingers clasped her arm and she felt her heart stop for a moment.

She twisted around to glance at the – no longer pale – face of her son when he took a deep gulp of air and then started breathing steadily. She bent over the bed to observe him closely when his eyes abruptly opened, gazing back hungrily at her face.

"Which imbecile left a mirror in front of my face?"

* * *

 **Phew! This chapter was twice as big as the first chapter. I'm extremely sorry for squashing your hopes of a conversation between Harry and his parents. That will be delivered in the next chapter. I had an obligation to describe the events that happened on the Halloween and I posted them before people get confused in the upcoming chapters. But I can guarantee that I will post the next chapter by Sunday night. For any suggestions or criticism regarding my writing style or story,** **Review** **.**

 **Warm Regards, Tony Samuels** _ **.**_


	3. And it all started when

**The theories you encounter in this Fic may conflict with what you come across in the canon, but I can assure you that they would not be the moronic hypothesis formed without any thought or basis or reference.**

 **So, if you have any doubts concerning the theories, Please inform me through your reviews or PM me and I shall try to clarify your doubts.**

 **My writing style may use a bit of intricate vocabulary, but the only purpose they serve is to enhance the quality of the story. Like Ernest Hemingway had proclaimed, 'Big words are not necessary to produce big emotions'. I intend to tone it down a bit but even then if you feel uncomfortable with the incessant jargon, ignore it.**

 **There will be no 'bashing' in this fic. The main characters may show a bit of condescension but I am positive that there would be no concept of bashing.**

 **In this fic, Dumbledore is a good man with no insane urges to string people to his fingers. But seriously, he is one of the most underused characters in the history of Fanfiction.**

 **Disclaimer: When you are traveling down the road of a thought, you pay no heed to the perils of imagination drifting around you. Creativity has no concerns, at least, until the world is blind. So, owning Harry Potter is the furthest thing in my mind right now.**

* * *

Harry regained consciousness with an aching head and an unresponsive body while feeling a distinct discomfort in his chest. He gradually regained the perception of his body with faint tremors springing up at various regions and his heart hammering in his chest.

His body felt frozen, the heat flowing through his body not enough to quench the growing necessity and when his right hand sensed a trace of warmth, he instantly clung to it, seeking solace from the heat from the object.

He took a deep gulp of air to lessen the gnawing pain in his chest and his breathing got regulated to a steady pace after a few moments as his heartbeat returned to its normal pace.

His eyelids weighed a ton but he made a valiant effort to open them, squinting his eyes with haste to shield his eyes from the light in the room and the light blue interior of the room aided him in his struggle. His bright emerald eyes tried to scrutinize the room, peering over his eyebrows, only to gaze at an identical pair of emeralds. _A mirror?_

"Which imbecile left a mirror in front of my face?" he rasped, his parched throat burning as a result due to his impetuous attempt at voicing his thoughts.

He heard a sudden intake of breath and the aforementioned thoughts abruptly vanished, leaving a blank expanse in their place, at the sight of a stunning woman who was currently arching over his prone form with a distressed expression marring her angelic face. He felt the world spinning around him and within moments, he was completely disoriented as his eyes rolled in their sockets.

As though he was swiftly obliviated of all his memories, no further words surfaced to the front of his mind and the mild headache he had when he woke up, turned into a battering ram with his struggle. His free hand automatically clutched his head, struggling in vain to abate the escalating pain while the other hand clasped the object, which he discerned to be the hand of the woman, harder.

He vaguely perceived the noise in the room, the pounding in his head eventually took over the awareness of his mind and his eyelids fell over his emerald irises, blocking his view of the world, with darkness creeping along the edges of his wavering consciousness.

oOXOo

Lily started to hyperventilate. The entire scenario reminded her of a zombie movie that Petunia forced her to watch in her pre-teens to indicate the horrific nature of her freakishness.

It terrified her to a degree that it took Severus a whole three months to compel her to accept that she is normal and not a nefarious zombie-raising witch. Strangely, it took Severus a scant three minutes to raise the same amount of fear in Petunia.

She didn't know what he revealed to her but there must be a reason why Petunia scurried out of the house, her entire body quivering with barely restrained fear, every time she tried to concoct a potion at home.

She took a deep breath, mollifying her hammering heart and pondered over the situation for a moment. _'Did I imagine the whole thing?''_

She took a glance at the feeble frame of her son, his left hand still clutching her right arm and his calm breaths assuaged her distress. The steady breaths and the flushed skin were a proof to the fact that she did not conjure up the precarious situation.

'Then how did he regain consciousness?'she reflected, her brilliant mind running through various tangents of reasoning and assumptions. ' _Wait a minute, Consciousness?_ '

She took an involuntary intake of air, her eyes widening at her realization, the gravity of the situation slamming into her like a speeding Hogwarts Express and her knees buckled under the weight of the insight.

' _Oh my god, he woke up'_ , her mind whooped, with the rational part eventually catching up _._

She attempted to bolt into the corridor to summon the healers but something tugged at her hand which she recognized as the arm of her son and she decided that she cannot relinquish the warmth of his hand after feeling it for the first time in years.

A memory of a newly born baby Harry flashed to her mind, his tiny fingers clenching around her index finger, crying his lungs out for the world to hear and as a woman, she never felt happier than she was at that moment. _At that time, I vowed that I would never let any harm befall him_. _I failed him once. I will never fail him again._

Holding her wand in her quivering hand, she placed a silencing ward around the bed and then cast a Sonorous charm at her rosy lips. "Healers, Emergency in the ward 373! Emergency!" she bellowed, her amplified voice startling the patients who were walking through the hallways. She paid no heed to the glares that were directed her way while her eyes skimmed over the crowds for a glimpse of the Healers.

Within moments, five Healers appeared in the hallway and scurried through the corridors, perturbed by her antics. They dashed into the ward and scoured the room for any threats with their wands moving in sync with their eyes. After seeing no imminent threats, they shifted their intense eyes to her, zeroing on the wand in her hand.

"Thank Merlin, I thought that you would appear after another hour", she commented, her voice amplified due to charm and all the Healers grimaced simultaneously, their hands automatically shifting to cover their ears.

They glowered at her, simultaneously, – _Do they do everything in sync? –_ their patience reserved only for the patients. Lily winced and raised her right hand to palm her forehead, a tic she unintentionally gained during her Hogwarts days as a reaction to the mischief of the Marauders _._

"Sorry", she muttered, her tone sheepish, "Got a little excited".

The glares subsided, but the narrowed eyes remained and she tried to reason her juvenile behavior. _'Of course, I have a reason. Why am I even struggling to fabricate reasons?'_

"I apologize for interrupting your schedule but it really is an emergency", she reasoned, emulating her professional tone with her back stiff and her hands steady.

"He woke up!" she yelled with vehemence, disregarding her conduct for an instant.

The healers remained unconvinced, even after the fervent declaration but when Lily gestured towards her hand, which was still being held by her unconscious son, their eyes widened at the implication and they went into a frenzy, waving their wands all over his body.

A smug smile appeared on her face, her entire posture shouting, ' _well, what did you expect?'_

The results they saw made them gasp. The wands of two Healers tumbled down to the floor and the clatter of the wands echoed in the silent room, the silencing wards placed by the healers producing an uncanny feeling in the room. They promptly took their wands, stooping so low that their noses grazed the floor and leaped to their feet with such haste that Lily thought that there may be the devil himself beneath the bed.

Each of them made further observations to confirm their analysis and Lily felt a gnawing apprehension in her chest at their continuous efforts. ' _What if he reverted to his initial state?' she pondered and swiftly surmised that she cannot handle it if he remained insensate after this. 'Not after igniting this hope in me'._

Eventually, the Healers ceased their wand motions and the wands returned to their pockets. They conversed among themselves and Lily felt like a school girl in her favorite class, with questions thriving in her mind, thrashing around to escape their caged confines but unable to lash out because she wouldn't allow them to flow out of her mouth, not when she didn't want to disrupt the class.

Those moments were frustrating and it usually took her a whole ten minutes to wane the pounding in her head. That situation paled in contrast to what she was facing right now.

She had an urge to raise her right arm to seek consent to shoot a question but fisted her hands to stop the movement. ' _Don't be naive. You've annoyed them once. Don't make it a habit'_ , her mind admonished.

"He is perfectly healthy, at least in contrast to his previous state and his vitals are stable but there are major complications concerning his mind", one of the Healers informed after sensing her distress, a reassuring smile on his aging face that did nothing to mitigate her worry, "Being in a coma for nine years affected his cognitive processes and as a result, the vocabulary that children obtain in their childhood is completely absent in his brain. He cannot form any words or sentences for now."

Before Lily could voice her concerns about his imminent growth – ' _Oh god, what if it takes years for him to become normal?' she considered. 'Doesn't matter, I would always stay by his side', –_ the Healer continued, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture, guessing her question, "Normally, we use a procedure to aid the patients who are completely obliviated of their memories by accident or purpose. We cannot assist them in retaining their entire memories but this procedure helps them in gaining the basic memories."

Lily was captivated by the explanation and the Healer chuckled at her earnest expression. "If you are interested, we can divulge more info about this method", the Healer proposed and Lily agreed with a fervent nod, her head arching forward to grasp every teeny scrap of information.

"If only we had trainees who are half as eager as you, the St Mungo's lab would be filled with people", the Healer admitted and three of the five Healers squirmed in their positions, their eyes glancing at every corner of the room. _Seems like they are one of those aforementioned trainees._

"The short term memories of a witch or a wizard are encoded in auditory, visual, spatial and tactile forms and repeated use of the short term memories, known as rehearsal, transfers them to the long term memory. The short term memories which are limited to only seven, can be easily recalled but the long-term memories become hard to recall without consistent use", he explained, pausing to make sure that his rapt audience is grasping the theory. Contented by their enthralled faces, he proceeded.

"The basic memories of the people consist of the basic vocabulary and information, which they regularly use in their daily life. The memories of a person are mapped out in their brain and these basic memories act as a trigger to aid the mind in retrieving the complex memories. That's one of the reasons why people who are proficient at Occlumency can retain memories faster since Occlumency aids the brain in forming more connections or mappings between the memories. When people get obliviated of their entire memories, they usually lose their ability to form sentences and in some cases, even words", he informed, uttering the last sentence in a stage whisper so that they can comprehend the severity of the situation. Lily felt a chill flash along her spine, terrified at the prospect of losing her ability to form coherent sentences.

' _It's worse than insanity', she mused, 'not being able to express our feelings and emotions.'_

' _Just like a baby'_ , the deranged part of her mind remarked before she took a glimpse of her sleeping son and squashed the thought before she could think of more frightening things.

"So, since the basic vocabulary of the majority of people of similar age is nearly same, we Healers create the mappings for the memories in the brains of the victims according to their age by using the memory mappings of other people", the Healer elucidated, unaware of her internal struggle.

"This process is similar to that of creating a false memory but this is much simpler since there are no memories to present to identify them to be false and the basic instincts of the person do not clash with the memory since we are not creating any mappings that are not there previously."

"But in Harry's case, it would be much easier since he has no memories in the first place", Lily surmised and the Healer beamed, impressed at her quick reasoning.

"Yes", the Healer approved, nodding gently at her. "I predict that it would merely take us an hour to map his mind with the basic memories and Info. Do you want us to map the names and images of your family members in his mind to help him with recognizing his family?" the Healer inquired, his tone gentle. "We can easily achieve it as we would only map the names and images. Nothing more, nothing less."

She pondered over it for a minute. 'Wouldn't it be easier if he can recognize all of us and talk with a sense of familiarity?' she posed and her heart clenched at the thought of her son not recognizing her, ' _I would be stranger to my own child.'_

She was about to concede, giving in to her anguish when another thought surfaced to her mind. 'The first memories of his family would be fake ones, created only for a _sense of familiarity_. We are not even giving him a chance to get to know us'.

'No, he would form his own memories and opinions of his family. If he can't recognize me or James, I would accept it with a smile on my face. If he hates us for subjecting him to this suffering, we would bear it. _I won't have my own son immersed in lies',_ she decided. 'Not when he has a loving family to take care of him'.

"I want him to create his own memories of us, not as facts that were inculcated in his mind.", Lily elected, shaking her head at the notion of fake memories, "I would endure the pain if I need to".

"Sure, we will only map the basic words", the Healer replied, not willing to argue with her firm resolve, "Do you wish to stay during the procedure?"

"Yes", Lily declared, without a shred of doubt in her mind. She unwittingly forgot that she had a husband waiting at home for her, dealing with his devils for children, his eyes darting to the door every second for any sign of her presence.

oOXXOo

 **At the Potter Manor**

'Having three children at home, who had no intention of stopping their antics, even for the sake of their hapless father and uncles was a right pain in the ars.., umm, head', James decided. When Lily left the house for her typical visit to St Mungo's, James chose to stay at the Manor and watch over the children, as he felt worse than dirt whenever his wife sobbed at the state of his eldest son and he couldn't do anything but slump beside her and provide her with a shoulder to cry on. Not the one she cursed. The other one. He didn't need another reminder to make her cry.

While Lily usually wept and blamed herself for the suffering of their son, James had a habit of receding to a corner to drown in his own wretched mistakes. Each tear his wife shed was a testament to each of his own failures, the predominant one being the comatose state of Harry.

' _Had I not acted like a foolish Gryffindor, heading into battle without thinking, our son would have been safe. If I hadn't pushed Severus to the edge, he wouldn't have become a Death Eater before revealing the prophecy to Voldemort. Merlin, I was stupid.'_

James knew Sirius still blamed himself for switching the secret keepers, the anguish he showed on his face, assuming that they blamed him for their son, when they named Remus as the godfather of their second child, Lisanne, was imprinted in his mind and the torment of Sirius only quelled when they named him as the godfather of their second son, Alex.

Remus, another one who had suffered due to his mistakes, easily forgave them for their lack of trust with the same serene smile that he incessantly wore on his face but the hurt in his eyes was palpable, even to the usually oblivious Sirius. But the friendship they forged during their seven years of Hogwarts life stood firm, even in adverse conditions and, for that, he was immensely grateful.

He knew that no amount of reassurance could assuage their guilt, not when their son was on his death bed at St Mungo's. But reassurances were the only relief they had and the only alternative they will have when the light fades from the eyes of his son. That's a truth that no one can change. _Not even God._

At that moment, Sirius was dealing with an obstinate Alex who was intent on getting Sirius to teach him new tricks, to try them on unheeding souls. ' _I regret the day I decided to tell Alex about our Marauder history' James conceded._

Sirius, unable to resist the pleas of his godson, gave in to his demands to teach him tricks to prank people. Alex inherited his black messy hair, bad eyesight and sense of mischief but he got the brown eyes, rigid build and average stature from his deceased grandfather Charlus.

Sirius could never resist the whims of Alex and sometimes, James felt that Sirius was trying to compensate for Harry through Alex to assuage his guilt.

Sirius always had an innate fear that he could never be a good father, a fear induced by the bad impressions of his own father that he had by growing up in a Black household but looking at Sirius and Alex at that moment, James could surely proclaim that Sirius could never be a bad father; even if he tried.

Remus, the pedagogue of their household is currently teaching charms to Lisanne, who was captivated at the thought of charms that can lift things with a thought and induce sleep in people with a flick. Lisanne inherited almost everything from James, the black, curly hair with hazel irises but unlike her brother Alex, she did not inherit his bad eyesight. _Fortunately._

The personalities of Alex and Lisanne were identical to the godfathers who raised them, with Alex, the ever-exuberant prankster, and Lisanne, the scholar. ' _She might have been inherited that from Lily', he conceded after a moment._

And then there's Evelyn, who was named after her grandmother. Evelyn was completely identical to her grandmother with bright red hair, light sky blue eyes and an incessant smile on her adorable face. Completely identical except the errant behavior. ' _Merlin, she's going to a handful when she grows up', James shuddered_.

The errant and accident prone bearing of little Eve makes her the bane of the Potter household, especially because no one can resist her adorable pout. _Not even Lily._ From where she inherited this errant behavior, James had no idea.

He had been watching the kids for an hour when he realized that he cannot handle all three of them without the help of Lily. So he acquired the aid of his two Marauder friends and they were all too willing to help. _Halloween was never a special day for them._ But it's been seven hours since his wife had left and he had no sign of her since then. _'She's not the one to make reckless decisions',_ James concluded, while speculating the whereabouts of his wife.

' _What if something had happened to Harry_?" his mind suggested and he jolted in his place and the coffee cup in his stiff hands abruptly fell to the floor, clanging as it broke. Sirius and Remus bolted from their places, abandoning their chores to shake him from his reverie.

He gave no explanations about his behavior but calmly donned his robe and suggested Sirius do the same. "Remus, we are going to St Mungo's. Please stay here and watch over the children?" he posed, instead of making decisions for his studious friend. "Only you can handle all three children at once", he added as an afterthought, a pleading look on his face. He smartly shifted his head so that he cannot see the pout on Eve's face. ' _I cannot back down_ ', he iterated in his mind.

"Sure", Remus agreed, already predicting his reasons. "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do", he finished with a nod while inclining his head.

James and Sirius agreed with Sirius nodding twice, something that earned a skeptical glance from Alex. _'Yes. Go on, Sirius. Make it seem like we are up to some_ _mischief", James thought exasperatedly._

They disapparated from the gates with a pop, appearing in the visitor's area of St Mungo's and dashed to the ward 373, taking no detours this time.

oOXXOo

 **Ward 373**

It had been two hours since the procedure was completed and the Healers assured her that the diagnosis went perfectly. She had no choice but to accept what the healers said and hope that her son could recover swiftly. Her prayers were not answered.

She was gazing out of the window when she heard footsteps in the room, silent but swift. "He's still asleep", she notified, assuming that the footsteps were of the Healers. "I don't think that he's going to wake up today".

"Of course, he's asleep. He's been doing that for nine years remember?" came the reply of the not-Healer. Her brow twitched at the casual tone with which the statement was uttered, easily guessing the owner of the voice.

She twisted around to look at the faces of James, and Sirius, who seemed anxious and worried. "You ben here for seven hours", James explained. "I presumed that something could have happened to Harry."

At the name Harry, she lurched forward, her face elated and she abandoned the reason for her distress. "He woke up James", she cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "and Sirius", she eventually added. "You may be skeptical about it but he honestly woke up", she iterated. "You don't believe me, do you?"

James merely raised his eyebrows while Sirius indulged her with a nonchalant smile. Lily huffed and gestured toward her left hand. "See? He held my hand."

James didn't look convinced and Lily glanced towards her left hand. _The left hand which was free from the grip of her son who regained consciousness before a few hours. 'Traitor', her mind rebuked._

"Oh, God. He actually held my hand till now. That's the reason I stayed here", she reasoned and wriggled her hands, unable to provide any other proof for her claim without the help of the Healers. "It's fine if you don't believe me."

"Of course, we believe you Lily", Sirius concurred, slanting his head in the direction of James, "We accept it even if you claim that he is watching us right now."

"Holy Mother of Merlin, he's actually watching us right now", James exclaimed, his tone filled with disbelief while Sirius sniggered from his side.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about", Sirius agreed and Lily felt her patience thinning at the antics of her husband and their friend.

"Will the both of you shut up! I am not joking. This is about the state of our son and you are cracking fun of it", she yelled, pointing her index finger towards James, who was still gaping at their son with wide eyes, completely oblivious to the outside world. "Look at me!"

Both of them did not respond and she spun around in her place, seething with anger when she heard a chuckle and felt the gaze of her son on her.

There he was, resting on his bed and chuckling at their antics.

 _Lily felt her_ _heart stop for the second time that day._

* * *

Harry regained consciousness once again, this time with no aching pains in his body or head. His mind felt clear as though someone scrubbed the floors and corners of his brain with great care. His thoughts no longer felt muddled up and the awaited headache did not emerge even when he tried to think.

' _Rejuvenated', he decided. 'My body feels rejuvenated.'_

He loosened the grip he had on the arm in his hand. ' _How long had she been waiting here?' he contemplated. 'Must have been hours.'_

' _I either need to apologize or thank profusely'._

 _'A thank you with an apology would be more preferable', he decided._

He was about to open his eyes when he heard a commotion in the room.

'He actually held my hand till now. That's the reason I stayed here till now.' A woman shouted. ' _Probably the red haired lady', he assumed. 'She stayed here for me? Why?'_

'Of course, we believe you Lily', a man replied. 'We accept it even if you claim that he is watching us right now.' He sensed a touch of amusement in the man's voice and promptly decided that there would be no better timing to prove his consciousness.

He gradually opened his eyes, a smirk on his face and he saw three figures in the room, two men and one woman.

The woman was the one he had seen during the first time he regained consciousness but the two men were strangers. Both men were tall, with the man on the right with spectacles being taller by an inch in contrast to the man on the left. The man on the right had black messy hair with hazel eyes behind his round frames, an exasperated smile on his face while the man on the left had black, wavy hair with gray eyes, a mischievous grin decorating his visage. He had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he knew these people. How? He had no idea.

The bespectacled man twisted his head in his direction, gazing away from the woman standing in front of him and when the man met Harry's gaze, his eyes bulged behind his glasses with his mouth opened in a disbelieving stare.

'Holy Mother of Merlin, he's actually watching us right now', the bespectacled man exclaimed. An amused smile blossomed on his face and his lips quirked at the edges. The man's expression did not wane even after getting admonished by the woman in front of him. ' _Maybe it's her typical behavior' he presumed._

The gray-eyed man shifted his gaze from the red haired woman and his expression mirrored his friend's when he glanced at the smiling visage of Harry but his was more comical and Harry inadvertently chuckled. The chuckles reverberated around the room when the woman stopped her yelling to swivel in his direction and she froze in her steps at the sight of him and, anything she was about to utter ceased in her throat.

His chuckles abruptly halted as a memory flashed through his mind when he caught a glimpse of the woman.

 _He squatted down on a comfy bed and closed the curtains that were tangled at the top of the cot. In his hand was a photo album with 'To Harry Potter_ _ **'**_ _written on the top in a messy scrawl_ _ **.**_ _He reverently placed the album on the bed and flipped the binding with trembling hands. His emotions were a jumbled mess but two of them were significant: Love and excitement. He would be seeing the photos of his father and mother for the first time in his life. The first photo was that of a red haired woman and a black haired man dancing in the courtyard with snow cascading around them. Their faces were flushed with joy, elated at something because they glanced at each other with such emotion that he felt a heavy ache in his chest at the sight. Tears dripped down his cheeks, dropping onto the album and he hastily swabbed the photo with the sleeves of his oversized shirt. He flipped the photo to observe the writing on the back._

 _ **After the marriage: James and Lily Potter.**_

The memory abruptly vanished and he was back in the living world. ' _Where did that come from?'_

 _He was not surprised to find out that he didn't know._

But one thing was certain, the flabbergasted woman in front of him was his mother and the gaping bespectacled man was his father, his parents who would sacrifice their own life for him. He had never seen the gray-eyed man but he had a feeling that he can trust the man with his life. ' _Have faith in your Instincts and Feelings. They are ingrained in your soul', an eerie voice echoed in his mind._

"Hey, Mum". The words involuntarily emerged out of his mouth at the sight of his mother and his voice choked up with emotion. He barely saw a red blur before he was engulfed in a fierce hug that knocked the wind out of his chest and for a moment he thought that he was going to be unconscious again. ' _That would be extremely annoying.'_

"I'm glad. So glad. So glad", she iterated for a minute and loosened her hold on him for a second, her breath coming in short and swift intervals. He utilized the time to take a huge gulp of air, a bright smile blossoming on his face at the sight of her elated expression. She didn't relinquish her hold of him but slightly twisted in her place to give him more space to breathe and he patted her back uncertainly – _Am I doing it right?_ – He felt dumb but breathed a sigh of relief when she relaxed in his arms.

He glanced at his father and the gray-eyed man, who were floundering in their positions. "There is enough space in here to fit two more people", he suggested, waving his hand over the bed. "I'm sure that the hospital staff wouldn't mind", he reassured when they hesitated.

A smile and a smirk emerged on their anxious visages and they sauntered to the bed. His father sat to his right while his mother squatted to his left and the gray-eyed man sat cross-legged across him on the bed. His parents held each of his hands while the gray-eyed man ruffled his bed hair making it messier than before. Each of them had bright smiles on their faces but the anxiousness did not wane from their postures.

"I am not planning on losing my consciousness again", he promised, presuming that they were worried that he would revert back to his original state. They chuckled but the anxiousness persisted.

"How did you recognize us?" Lily eventually inquired, her posture stiffening against his body. "You have no memories and I…I thought" she trailed off, unable to continue her line of thought.

' _Ah. So they were worried about my reaction', he deduced. 'I cannot tell them about the flash of memory for now. No need to make them more distressed.'_

"No, I don't blame any of you for my situation", he reassured and the anxiousness slowly faded from their postures. "In fact, I didn't even have an idea about why I'm here or who you guys were until I heard your argument. When I heard mom yelling at dad about 'joking at the state of our son', I realized that you they my parents", he elucidated, hoping that they would accept the explanation. ' _I am extremely lucky that my plight favored my reasoning', he mused._

His mother and father deflated at his sides but the gray-eyed managed to form a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, then the situation demands an awe-inspiring first impression and your godfather Sirius Orion Black, an honorable member of the Marauders and the most desired man in England will provide you with exactly that", the man who introduced himself as Sirius proclaimed.

His mother managed to shake her head at the antics of Sirius. "Oh god, we should have never made him the godfather of our children." she lamented while his father glanced at Sirius with a fond smile.

"Your mother, Lily Potter nee Evans, is merely jealous that she couldn't manage to snag me but had to settle for my apprentice, James Potter" Sirius asserted, his mischievous grin not subsiding, even after the rebuke . "But before I get into the details, I am obliged to ask. Are you ripe for a journey?"

"I have time", Harry regarded, his own grin materializing on his face. "Will it be an interesting ride?"

"Oh, you have no idea, my beloved godson, you have no idea. It all began when a grim, a stag, a wolf and a witch walked into a bar…"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I've planned on posting the entire conversation but I thought it would be more relevant if I posted it in the next chapter. This chapter already consists of 6k words and I intend to describe all of the Potter family conversations in a single chapter. So, until then…**

 **If you have any qualms regarding my writing style or story, Review.**


	4. Curious or Deranged?

**In case, you couldn't comprehend how Harry got the memory or the instincts: they surface as a flash when something triggers that memory and in the previous chapter, the trigger was Lily. The vocabulary and the words are ingrained into his mind by the Healers, as I had explained. Succinctly.**

 **And before you rain down the facts upon me, I must remind you the summary in the first chapter : the story regarding his past is** **different from that of canon** **.**

 **Disclaimer: Change occurs over time, unseen by many and unstoppable by any. The struggle to hinder the inevitable is foolish, despite our craving for constancy and the capacity to flow with the change is no less worthy than being the change. I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The ride was a short one. In fact, Sirius merely got to the point where they walk into the bar before two Healers sauntered into the room, their eyes transfixed on the reports in their hands and oblivious to the occupants of the room.

One of the Healers was a frail old man, his feeble arms, and thinning white hair, a testament to this fact but the other Healer was a stunning woman in her early thirties with luscious brown hair, full red lips and a curvaceous body that swayed with each step she took. Her eyes were obscured from sight by a tuft of her hair and Sirius was slavering before he can even utter a word. Harry, who was disgruntled at the abrupt intervention, proved by his downcast eyes and pouty lips, leaned on to the bed post and subtly tried to kick Sirius out of his trance. It was a futile effort.

The old man peered over the report to glance at the occupants of the room before his gaze fell on Harry and he smiled benevolently, his wrinkles grew more prominent at that moment. Harry subtly shifted to his left, closer to his mother to elude the hawkish gaze of the Healer and Lily brightened at this, her hand tightened the hold on her son's hand.

The Healer's smile grew more pronounced at this action and Harry twisted his head to stare at the other Healer instead. "Looks like it would take you a few more months to evade the tendrils of your prevailing childish nature but I must say that it's a beneficial after-effect. Children have a learning curve that eclipses the curve of an adult, the inherent curiosity and the touch of innocence that they show are something that no one can replicate, not even magic", the Healer apprised as he ambled along the length of the room, a hand rubbing at his chin while the other hand clutched the report. Harry inclined his head to glimpse at the report but every time he tried, the Healer adjusted the report in his hand in such a manner that Harry could only observe the pad of the report. He blamed the aforementioned inherent curiosity for his unsatisfied urge and he was sure that the healer was taking guilty pleasure from his torment. ' _That's the only veritable explanation for the eerie smile on his scary face', Harry decided._

"But that's not the reason for this sudden visit. We came across a few complications while dealing with this situation", the Healer continued, unfazed by the glare he was receiving from Harry and tensed postures of the remaining occupants.

"In fact, we don't even have an idea about how he abruptly regained consciousness after nine years and before I mention the details, I am Healer Darius Cooper, this my trainee, Healer Jane Valerie and we are the Healers who are in charge", the Old man informed as he gestured towards himself and then to the woman by his side. Healer Valerie merely gave a stiff nod, before explaining from the report in her hand.

"Usually, people who wake up from a coma after a long time have laggard cognitive and metabolic functions and it takes weeks for those people to return to their typical lives", Healer Valerie mentioned in a no-nonsense tone before she gestured to Harry, "But Mr. Potter is in perfect condition if you ignore his frail body and lack of memories. His magical core is stable and he has no symptoms from what happened that day." She divulged the last part in a whisper as she glanced at Harry.

The three adults on the bed lurched to their feet before they sauntered to the furthest corner and gave an apologetic look to Harry. The Healers followed them and the adults steadily ignored the pout on Harry's lips but Lily looked like she's barely restraining herself from dashing to her son to take him into her arms

"Well, he did survive the Killing curse, didn't he? We don't even have any explanation for that. Being healthy shouldn't be a big deal for someone who survived death", Sirius whispered while he casually flicked his hand in a nonchalant manner. The brow of Healer Valerie twitched at his uninhibited ignorance for medical theories and Sirius retorted with his signature crooked grin that did nothing but to infuriate the enraged Healer. James bestowed Sirius with a deadpan stare that would have made any lesser man drown in shame but Sirius faced that stare from McGonagall and survived. Barely. James is a mere child when compared to McGonagall and Sirius easily ignored the stare.

"Yes. But we won't have any idea regarding his further situation if we don't have an inkling about how he survived", Healer Cooper added as he stared at Lily since he surmised that she's the only sane person in the group. "And it appears that the diagnosis would take weeks to conclude", he voiced.

"Are you saying that he needs to stay here for weeks? Or Merlin knows how long!" James exclaimed as he raised his eyebrows and wriggled his arms in the space between them. One of the hands smacked Sirius on the back of his head and it was completely unintentional or that's what James would say if Sirius grilled him afterward.

"Of course not. He can return home once we complete our final diagnosis, as he needs a loving environment for his imminent growth and I'm sure that the bleak atmosphere of the Hospital can be depressing, especially for a child", Healer Cooper announced, loud enough that Harry who was sulking on the bed promptly brightened at the statement and a wide smile replaced the pout. "But", Harry's shining emeralds narrowed at the conjunction, "He needs to be stuffed with nutrition potions for a few months to maintain steady growth and attend weekly, umm, yes, checkups"

"Are you intending to turn Harry into a lab rat?" Lily growled, her arms crossed across her chest, eyes narrowed and the Healer backed off. "Don't even think about it."

"No, No, No.", the Healer placated, lifting his arms in a pacifying gesture, "I must concede that I voiced it the wrong way. They are merely checkups. If there are no further symptoms, he would be relieved of them."

Lily gave a stiff nod and then glared at James and Sirius who were sniggering in the corner. 'Even Healers are terrified of her' was easily heard in between their sniggers.

The two Healers then strolled towards the bed before they took out their wands and quickly finished their diagnosis, unperturbed by Harry's struggle to duck under the mattress. Healer Valerie gawked at Harry while Healer Cooper merely chuckled after observing the results of the assessment. "Your rate of healing truly astounds me", Healer Cooper admitted as he stared at Harry, whose eyes were secured on the wands in their hands with his hands crossed over his chest after he gave up on his vain efforts to escape their scrutiny .

"He can leave after we assign the required potions", Healer Cooper notified, as he gazed at the results in his hand and scurried out of the room as his robe billowed behind his back, with his trainee in tow.

The adults reclaimed their positions on the bed before they simultaneously shifted their gazes to Harry and tried to start any conversation before they stopped and glanced at the others for help.

"After we escape the tender mercies of the Healers, we are going to our house, which is a Manor by the way and you are going to get your own room", James declared and winced as he observed the grimaces on the faces of Sirius and Lily. Harry gave no outward reaction to this statement but he relaxed for the first since the arrival of the Healers.

"God, I must have sounded like a Malfoy", James lamented and Sirius accorded with an affirmative nod. Lily was about to reprimand James for his half-witted attempts at a conversation when Harry voiced his thoughts.

"And I can paint my room?" Harry suggested, his voice filled with hope while he fiddled with the mattress in his hand and James couldn't have said No even if was threatened with a killing curse. James merely gave a soft nod, his hands wrapped around the shoulders of his son.

'That was the last thing we did', James wanted to comment but he couldn't voice his thoughts without bursting into tears. Instead, he twisted his head around to subtly brush away the few tears that were threatening to escape with the hem of his sleeve.

"Before we rush into the trivial intricacies", Sirius, who was aware of the thoughts flashing through James mind, started carefully, "I would like to mention that there are a few things about the Potter family that we'd like to mention."

Sirius wiggled his eyebrows at Lily, who appeared faintly disgusted at the action before she realized what Sirius was trying to imply. She swiveled around to stare pointedly at Harry, her hands on her lap with the fingers crossed.

"You have two sisters and a brother who are all younger than you", Lily stated as a matter of fact, with an aloof expression and flat voice as she tried to show no outward reaction to her inner apprehension at the matter.

Harry glanced at Sirius with a puzzled look and Sirius smacked his forehead at the unsightly behavior of his two friends in front of their son. The resounding clap that echoed from this action snapped James and Lily from their deliberation while Sirius stroked his forehead to lessen the pain.

Sirius was about to go off on a rant when Healer Valerie appeared once again, this time with a batch of potions in her hands. She gently placed the potions on one of the empty chairs and then turned towards Lily and handed her a parchment with instructions about the intake of potions written on it.

"Once the first dosage is completed, which nearly takes a week, owl the parchment to St Mungo's to acquire the next dosage", She explained and was bestowed with a bright smile and a nod from Harry.

She paused for a moment before a half-smile appeared on her face and she ruffled his hair softly. The half-smile stayed on her face as she ambled out of the room with a perpetual grace to her steps. The occupants of the room pondered over this for a moment before they classified it as insignificant and continued with their conversation.

Before Sirius can voice his frustrations regarding their behavior, James wisely interjected, his tone filled with a sense of urgency, "I think it would be wise to reach our home before the kids raise a pandemonium and our dear moony succumbs to it."

"It's never a wise decision to leave the kids with an innocent soul like Moony", James finished with a sage nod, and his eyes closed in a silent prayer. "Amen", Sirius added with a similar nod with his right hand placed over his heart.

"We are going to use the floo", Lily decided, neither confirming nor denying their declaration. "No one should experience Apparition just after they are released from a Hospital", she shuddered.

Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the word 'Apparition' and he agreed with a fervent nod, despite not having any idea about Apparition. ' _That sounded like a feat that should be performed only by professionals'._

Within moments, they were at the Floo station of St Mungo's or at least they hoped that it was the case. But in reality, it took them 37 minutes and 29 seconds to traverse from ward 373 to the Floo station in the Ground Floor.

It all started when Lily decided that parading Harry through the corridors without any disguise was a barmy decision. James being the transfiguration expert tried to transfigure his hospital robes into a night wear. Keyword: _tried_. The moment James brought out his wand, Harry, being the cute innocent child, snatched it out of his hand and waved it all over the place.

It was adorable and funny, the adults decided during the first few seconds. But when chairs and mattresses started thrashing around the room, the wand sparkling as it wreaked havoc, they swiftly concluded that things went out of hand. It took the better part of the next ten minutes to convince that he was going to get his own wand and waving a wand is a bad thing to do in hospitals. The fact that the Healers did the same with their wands, did not help matters and Harry handed the wand to James with great reluctance.

 _In the midst of all this pandemonium, they easily ignored the fact that a ten-year-old shouldn't be able to make things fly; even with a wand._

They finished the disguises within the next few minutes but flaunting a building crowded with weird things and people to an amnesiac child who was seeing the outside world for the first time had never been a wise decision and it's not going to change now.

The mayhem that resulted was brimmed with apologies, a few curse words that should never be used around children, some misfired spells, and utter chaos. They arrived at the floo station with Harry cuffed on both sides by his parents and guarded by Sirius.

Looking at James, Sirius and Lily, one would presume that there was a Death Eater attack at St Mungo's. All of them had their wands in their hands, their eyes shifting from one corner to the other corner to survey the hall for any threats, their breaths coming in short gasps and their robes torn, with their faces weary. They had various cuts, few bruises, and their clothes were soaked with potions which reeked worse than Filch's ever-present cat, Mrs. Norris.

In the midst of their tense postures was an exhilarated Harry who was unscathed, except for a few scratches, and robes which were torn at few places. _The mission was successful, they agreed, glancing at each other. But the collateral was high._

"Harry, all you need to do is to grab this green powder in your hand and toss it into the fire. Then step into the fireplace and shout, 'Potter Manor'. You understand?" Lily explained slowly, paying no heed to her appearance or the chaos around them and Harry nodded, exuberantly.

"What's the thing you need to shout?" James ensured as his danger senses blared after glimpsing at Harry's exuberant nod.

"Potter Manor", Harry shouted, oblivious to the people who glanced his way at the shout. Lily obscured Harry from sight while James glared at anybody who glanced their way.

They promptly stepped in front of the fireplace with Sirius going first followed by Harry, then James and then Lily. Sirius made his typical show of disappearing with blazing flames and an exuberant wave, which earned him no points in Lily's handbook for showing off in front of an impressionable child.

Harry, who had never seen any real flames in his life, got captivated by the hazardous green flames and grabbed an insane amount of Floo powder with both hands and threw it into the fireplace which erupted with a colossal amount of blazing flames.

Harry leaped into the fire with a mile-wide grin on his face as he ignored the pounding hearts of his parents and shouted 'Potter Manor' before disappearing with a flash. Lily and James briefly glanced at each other before they hurried along as they gathered thefloo powder in their free hand.

* * *

 **At the Potter Manor**

Sirius who had just arrived, twisted around to wait for his godson since no one can arrive without landing on their butt when they try the Floo for the first time. James still can't appear without landing squarely on his face and Sirius was sure that his godson would have inherited this trait from his father.

But what he didn't expect was the sudden appearance of an enormous amount of flames from the fireplace and with sudden reflexes that were honed during his Auror training, he skipped to the side. He barely heard a whoop when he saw a figure blasted out of the fireplace and the aforementioned figure crashed onto the sofa in the hall, its momentum ceased by the plump cushions on the sofa.

Sirius blinked for a moment as his brain tried to process what he had just witnessed before he rushed to the sofa with a wand in hand. He heard two bursts from the fireplace and within moments, he was joined by James and Lily, who were scrutinizing the entire Hallway for the sight of their son with distressed faces.

They shifted their gazes to the sofa when they heard a groan and the figure on the sofa was revealed to be Harry, who was covered in thick black soot from head to toe with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Can we do it again?" was the first comment that he made and the adults simultaneously shook their heads, exasperated from the events of the day. They collapsed onto the sofa and sprawled on it, as the exhaustion from the day caught up with them.

They heard shuffling near the steps and Remus appeared with Little Eve in his arms, followed by Alex and Lisa. Remus stared at them for a minute before asking the inevitable question in a wry tone, "Did you try to kidnap the minister's son?"

After ten minutes, which consisted of a lot of exclamations, exasperated shouts and a bit of screaming, the entire family settled down around the dining table. Remus struggled to divert his gaze from the boy sitting in front of him but ultimately failed in his pursuit while the children gawked unashamedly at their brother who finally woke up

Harry's emerald eyes were trying to observe everything at once: from the mahogany table to the cushion chairs, the bright chandelier that was attached to the ceiling, the way the window curtains swayed every time there was a breeze, the photo frames that were affixed to the walls, the dull orange flames in the fireplace, the steps that led to the upper floors and the shining moon that was visible through the windows.

Everything but the tense postures of his family. Eventually, his gaze met Remus's and he spewed the first thing that came to his mind, "So, you are the wolf?"

Remus was speechless for a moment before he glanced at the startled looks of James and Lily and the guilty countenance of Sirius. His hands twisted around his frayed robes as he tried to maintain his composure to answer the innocent question from the kid.

"Yes, I am a werewolf. I transform into a wolf on every full moon night", Remus agreed, his voice conveyed no traces of his shame and fear of abandonment but Sirius winced and the guilty look on his face accentuated. Remus did not meet Harry's gaze as he anticipated the inevitable look of fear and revulsion on the child's face. But what he did not expect was an enthusiastic shout from Harry.

"That's so cool", Harry shouted as his face lighted up with excitement and Remus snapped up his gaze to look at Harry, the hold on his robes loosened as he tried to ponder over the comment for a moment. Remus merely gave his trademarked serene smile to Harry since he cannot expound the horrors that werewolves face to an innocent child.

Before the conversation could venture into uncomfortable territories, Lily, who was seated to the left of Harry intervened, "Kids, why don't you stop gawking and introduce yourselves to your brother?"

Before Alex or Lisa could object, Eve, who was rested in front of James on the table jiggled her hands to introduce herself.

"I'm Eve and I'm four years old", she chirped before calming down. Harry leaned forward and waited with bated breath for her to say something but when she stayed put, he shrugged his hands and stared at Alex.

"I'm Alex, seven years old. I love pranking and hate girly things", Alex informed with a Cheshire grin at the mention of Pranking and a shudder as he cited about girly things. He then imitated Harry by shrugging his hands and stared back. They continued to stare at each other for a minute before Harry backed down to glance at Lisa and Alex whooped.

Harry maturely ignored the whoop and gazed at Lisa, who flicked her black hair before leaning back in her chair. "I'm Lisanne, eight years old. I like Potions and charms and I hate people who make fun of others," Here she narrowed her eyes at Alex who retorted with a wiggle of his tongue. _'Ah, seems like she barely tolerates her brother.'_

Harry, who remained silent till now, posed the question that was pounding in his head since the beginning of the introductions. "That's all fine. But where did you guys come from?"

"What?" Lisa stared, unable to comprehend the question and Lily gave a tentative jerk to James who was calmly sipping coffee from the cup in his hands; Courtesy of Remus.

"I mean, I was in the hospital till now. Where were you guys before you came to this house?" came the innocent question. James sprayed out the coffee he was drinking onto the table and tried to abate his incessant coughs. Lily jolted in her seat and turned her startled gaze to Harry who was still waiting for an answer from somebody.

A vexatious grin appeared on Sirius's face and he rubbed his hands together with anticipation. "That's an excellent question, my dear godson and you godfather will try his best to clarify all your doubts."

James gently raised little Eve into his arms and craftily ignored the pout that appeared on her lips. Remus raised to his feet and slowly inched towards the door before he could get stuck in what he was sure was going be quicksand.

"You are not going to give him the 'Talk'", Lily Hollered at Sirius as she pointed her index finger to him and rose to her feet. "James, you are going to put the kids to sleep. Tomorrow, you and Remus are going to have a discussion with Harry to resolve his question."

"But why me? Remus is enough for that", James whined as he struggled to escape the tiny teeth of the Eve, who was trying to bite his arm.

"It's the responsibility of the father and godfather but there is no way in hell that I'm allowing Sirius to spoil my children", Lily explained while she patted Harry on the head and shook her head. Sirius promptly walked out to the fireplace and shouted, "Grimmauld Place" before disappearing. Lily was sure that she had seen a mischievous grin on Sirius's face but she ignored it for the moment.

Lisa and Alex rose from their seats without making any racket and followed Remus to their rooms; Lisa had no intention of agitating her mother while Alex retreated after seeing his mentor walk away, sure that his godfather disappeared to plan something. The Marauders were never the ones to give up.

Evelyn, who was tired from all her attempts to escape, nodded off in James's arms. James made his way up the stairs to place Eve in her bed before he softly kissed her forehead. He then promptly strode to the furthest room in the corridor. Harry's room.

By the time James reached Harry's room, Lily already put him to bed. Harry was peacefully sleeping in his nightwear, transfigured by Lily. She was running her hand through his hair with an affectionate smile that only mothers can manage.

"He mumbled something about tomorrow being a busy day", Lily informed without taking her gaze off her son when James entered the room.

"I'm sure it is", James replied, taking a seat by the bedpost, his hands crossed as he gazed out of the window on the opposite wall.

'It feels like a dream, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Nothing more was needed to be said and they both knew it.

That night, Sirius silently appeared from the fireplace and rushed up the stairs to reach the corridor in which Harry's room was present. The mischievous grin he had on his face could be seen from a mile away. _Even in the Dark._

In his room, Harry was experiencing another flash of memory.

 _Harry, seven years old was crouched in a corner of his cupboard. He was shivering from the chill of the winter that permeated through the wooden walls. The aforementioned walls were splotched with dried blood and name 'Harry' was carved into the wood at different places. There was a rickety bed that may be sufficient for a five-year-old in a corner with rusted springs popping up at various places. Spiders freely crawled in their webs over the bed, unaffected by the blood stains and cracks that were spread all over the roof of the cupboard._

 _His clothes were smeared with blood and his arms were bent at an odd angle. The imminent pain was slowly creeping up his arms and back, with tendrils of agony clawing into his bones. The blood flowed freely on his back from a few cuts that were previously closed, opened up from the severe beating. His head felt heavy and inky blackness was slowly latching onto his blurry vision. But despite all this, he was not crying. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't waste his precious tears for someone like his uncle. But his only regret was that some blood was spilled on to his report card. The report card that was the cause for his pitiable state. The report card that was filled with A Grades in contrast to Dudley's D's. Harry was first in his entire class but he was sure that it was the reason for his broken left hand. Tomorrow, he would need to submit the report card to his teacher but if she saw the blood marks, it would mean another confrontation with Vernon Dudley. That never ended well._

 _His entire predicament reminded him of a story that he read from a book in the library. The girl in the story was an abused child who sold match sticks on cold winter nights on the streets. One night when the night chill was too severe and there were no customers, she lighted a match in a nearby alleyway to acquire some warmth from the heat. In the light of the match stick, she saw her perfect world and her grandmother who was dead. She lighted up all her matches to sustain the vision and eventually, all of the matches were burnt. By the morning, the people on the street found her dead in the alleyway and pitied her. The same people who never showed an ounce of kindness to her when she was alive._

 _But unlike the story, he had no matchsticks or a perfect world to dream of. Only death._

 _After spending a few days in the cupboard, he was whisked out of his bed by his Aunt petunia to cook breakfast while she disregarded his bloodied and frail body. Harry merely succumbed to their threats and went to cook in the kitchen. He neatly cut the vegetables and collected the egg yolk in a glass bowl. He then walked to the stove to place the pans on the top._

 _And then he found something that he failed to find that night when he was shivering in his cupboard. Flame._

 _In the fire, he saw hope that he never had. The freedom of death._

' _Even these people deserve to die. If I am going to die, then I'm going to do some good by ridding the world of these pigs.'_

 _He used one of the kitchen knives to cut the gas line and then twisted around to face his relatives with an insane look on his face._

" _Good Bye."_

 _Nothing more was needed to be said and they knew it._

 _The flame burned brightly as he lighted the stove and he had never seen something so pure and beautiful. He closed his eyes and surrendered to the inevitable explosion. Instead of feeling an enormous amount of heat, he felt a light, cool breeze on his skin. He opened his eyes to find himself in a nearby playground filled with a few people. He saw smoke billowing from the direction of number 4, Privet Drive and he calmly sauntered to a nearby swing to sit on it, his eyes downcast._

 _Had anybody lifted the tuft of red hair that was obscuring his face, they would have found a deranged smile on his pale visage._

 _The next few days were filled with reporters, officers, and agencies. Harry didn't care. He never even uttered a word. They attributed it to shock. He let them._

 _By the time, the chaos was subdued, he was standing in front of an orphanage named 'St Mary's' and was assigned a room at the furthest corner of the third-floor corridor._

 _A name was carved on the back of the door and it was barely visible but he surmised that it read 'Tom Riddle'. Not having the heart to erase the name of the previous occupant, he carved his name 'Harry Potter' just below it'_

 _That night he slept with a serene smile on his dusty mattress._

Harry woke up with a gasp and scrutinized the room for a moment. The curtains were swaying in the wind and the moon shone among the bright stars with an ethereal light. After confirming that he was still at Potter manor, he strolled towards the bathroom to wash the sweat off his face.

But what he saw in the mirror startled him to an extent that he leaped back into his room.

His fringes were a thick blood red instead of their usual black.

"What's happening to me?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: There's a reason why the Healer, allowed a child who just woke up from a coma to leave the Hospital. It will be explained in the next chapter. There will be an explanation for everything that happens in this story. You just need to wait for it.**

 **Finally, we are venturing into the more interesting parts. I am done with most of the basis that is required for this story and I intend to maintain the steady pace instead of jumping into the suspense. But from now on, the flashbacks will be a regular occurrence in each chapter.**

 **I've simplified my Vocabulary for now. If you prefer the previous style, please inform me through the reviews.**

 **And lastly, if you have any qualms regarding my writing style or story,** **Review** **.**


	5. The Devil's Angel

**Sorry for the late update. I have realized that a minor bump on the path can lead to a whirl of scenarios and by the time you find your way, you are already immersed in the aftermath of your choices. Unfortunately, I was sick for a few days and hence the late update.**

 **The next few chapters will be posted in quick succession as I need to fill your minds with quite some information so that I could start the Hogwarts arc without tons of reviews pointing out the loopholes. Rest assured, I am happy when the readers point out the flaws to me.**

 **I am planning on elucidating the past in a _non-linear plot_ since the story employs the concept of triggers to evoke a memory and the story doesn't feel real if each memory is triggered in chronological order. The plot should flow naturally. **

**Disclaimer: The characters and the stories, though not mine, are whirling around me at the length of a thought, fueled not by memory but by fickle emotions which thread my view of this world.**

* * *

When you are slowly getting accustomed to the world, there could be a lot of things that may startle you. While the Earth spins around its axis, the thoughts spin at a faster rate in your mind, meandering through the memories you have created, bouncing around in the infinite expanse. The curiosity of the mind is merely a light which guides you through the darkness of Ignorance and the only constant you can find in this vague reality is yourself. You are the axis around which your life revolves. But when you lose the semblance of reality, the anchor that connects you to this world, what is there to rely upon? Yourself? Or the dreams that plague your mind?

At the moment, Harry was facing a similar dilemma as his thoughts vanished for a moment before springing up with vehemence. He clasped his fingers around the doorknob and struggled to regain his composure while shaking his head to clear his mind for a moment. He walked over to the mirror, rubbing his sweaty hands over the fabric of his transfigured pants and lifted his head to sneak a tentative glance at the mirror.

At the sight of the tufts of red hair in the midst of his black hair, he released a sigh and palmed his face to ease his anxiety. He traipsed along the tiles, deep in thought while running a hand through his hair and stepped into the room, ignoring the shining beads of sweat on his pale skin.

Taking a deep breath, he collapsed on the bed, drumming his fingers on the headboard as he contemplated the events that had transpired in his eerie dream and the consequences that followed.

' _There could be another boy who looks exactly like me except the red hair and somehow, I could be gaining his memories. But another 'Harry Potter'? Why is he sent to an orphanage when there is a Potter family in Britain? And how could a memory affect my body? A desert of questions with no answer in sight.'_

Lost in his maze of thoughts, he did not notice a man entering his room until he heard the cheery tone of his godfather.

"I did not know that you sleep with your eyes open", Sirius remarked, his hands crossed behind his head as he gazed down upon Harry with a bright smile. "A very useful skill which I sadly did not acquire until I suffered through three years of boring lectures at school."

Harry jolted backward at the unexpected sound, tumbling down the bed due to his precarious position and collapsed on the heap of blankets lying on the floor. "I wasn't sleeping", he managed to utter in between his short, rapid breaths while he struggled to soothe his pounding heart. "I didn't know that simply closing my eyes could be so tiring."

"Opening your eyes after being blind to the world around you could be exhausting. But what people cannot grasp is how hard it is to close them after you've seen it", Sirius whispered, gazing out of the window with a melancholic look that Harry would have never imagined on his godfather's face before he wriggled in a dog-like manner. "Sorry, this brought back some unpleasant memories that are hard to suppress", Sirius grinned, reverting back to his usual self without any effort.

Harry gave a reluctant nod, blaming his lack of comprehension on the loopholes in his knowledge and wiggled his hands to escape his wooly restraints. "What are you doing here?" He stared at Sirius while squatting at the edge of the bed. Sirius sat at the other corner, leaning on the headboard and dug his hands into the pockets of his robe.

"Ah. I was hoping to aid you in your endeavor to discern the intricate delicacies of a man's life", Sirius proclaimed, tilting his head and wiggling his eyebrows to emphasize the innuendo. Harry continued to stare, his mind trying in vain to fathom the statement before conceding defeat.

"Okay...So, what are you doing here?"

Sirius deflated in a second, "Oh, Harry. I have such a grueling task ahead of me but do not lose faith for there are but a few forces which can impede my imminent goal of molding you into a man of such caliber that heartbreak is the best thing that a woman can hope for."

Sirius took one glance at the deadpan stare from Harry before throwing his hands up, "Fine, I give up. I thought that you could use some help before receiving the so-called, 'talk'. Lily could be exceedingly stubborn when she wants to and if she knows that I had any hand in this matter", Sirius averted his gaze, stared at the wall and shuddered at the thought, "let's just say that she is exceptionally innovative at charms. But I did not expect that you would be awake."

"You have something in your pocket?" Harry guessed, glancing at Sirius's robe as he leaned forward and his hair fell onto his eyes. He tried to brush away the fringes but his hand froze in mid-air and his mind reverted back to his predicament. He panicked for a moment, his eyes going wide but he peered at the hair hanging in front of his eyes. Black hair. He leaned back, dropping his hand on his lap and met the inquisitive gaze of Sirius. "Does my hair look different?"

"If you ignore the bird's nest lying on the top, then no. It doesn't", Sirius replied, paying no heed to the eccentricities of his godson. "But I always thought that the messy hair of the Potters is undoubtedly different. People could recognize it from a mile away."

Harry relaxed, disregarding the last comment and brushed his hair to the side as he ignored the barrage of questions flooding his brain. "So, what do you have in your pocket?"

"Ah, about that. These are some of the things that helped me when I endeavored to discover the beauty of surroundings", Sirius whispered as though he's revealing a great secret and placed a magazine on the bed. "Do not open it until I leave."

Before Harry could utter a word, Sirius stood up and rubbed his hands together, "Do not stay awake for long and tell no one that I was here."

"But", Harry interrupted but Sirius shushed him and strolled to the door. "Questions are for tomorrow. Now, Good night."

Sirius gave a wave and walked out of the door, closing it as he exited. Harry stared at the door for a moment before shifting his gaze to the magazine lying on the bed. There was nothing but a white sheet on the top and he flicked it to the side.

"Playboy?"

* * *

Sirius ambled along the corridor, his feet making no noise but his thoughts screaming in their confines in his mind. He did not anticipate this conversation but it was definitely insightful. He let out a giggle at the thought of his godson, his mind conjuring different scenarios of how Harry would react when he sets his eyes on the magazine.

'Oh, It would have been worth the wait to catch a glimpse of his expression', Sirius brooded before he stumbled upon the reason for his quick retreat. He was tasked to guard Diagon Alley with Frank and some other Aurors as there could be a lot of commotion in the busier areas of Magical Britain since Halloween was when You-know-you was vanquished.

Harry Potter, the boy who defeated the dark lord. 'The entire incident was shrouded in mystery, molded into a bedtime story for children and within days, the entire Britain was deluded by the illusions of freedom', he mused, a wry smile playing on his lips, 'and this time it's no different.'

He had no intention of scrutinizing his godson when he entered Harry's room but one glance at the sweaty, pale visage of Harry and his curiosity kicked in. 'How could Harry grasp things about which he had no idea of? A bird's nest. Three years of school. Charms. These are the things that he never heard of', Sirius contemplated as he sauntered down the stairs, 'But he couldn't interpret the basic things that any boy nearing his puberty could understand.'

'It's as though he has selective memory for such things', He concluded as he reached the fireplace, "If I could perceive this then Lily would have already noticed it."

He could feel the winds changing, the clouds gathering for an imminent storm and his senses tingled with anticipation of an adventure, 'I could foresee a fascinating future furnished with fireworks.'

* * *

The next day, Harry woke up to bright light streaming through the windows and the entire room seemed lovely in contrast to the gloomy impression it exhibited the previous night. He suspected that magic was at play here. There were a few clothes and a towel draped on the headboard of the bed and he felt something beneath him. He rose to his feet and grabbed the magazine lying on the bed.

The memories of the night rushed to the front and he threw the magazine to a corner, his face flushed with embarrassment. He was sure that he didn't even read past the first page but he had no idea about when he fell asleep. He could only hope that no one saw it on his bed. He grabbed the towel after concluding that the blame solely lied on his godfather.

He walked to the bathroom and finished his ablutions without any difficulty. He felt as though he had been doing the same for years and not for the first time, he ignored this sense of familiarity. He strolled down the corridor after clothing himself, ignoring the anxiety weaving through his nerves and paused in his step when he reached the stairs. Instead of taking the steps, he glided down the wooden railing with a whoop, abandoning his anxiety and landed on the floor with an audible thump.

He was about to hop around to celebrate his successful landing, a grin visible on his face when he noticed five pairs of eyes on him. The exhilaration vanished in an instant and ducked his head to hide his embarrassment, hands crossed behind his back. The walk to the table was a long one, filled with hidden smiles, some open chuckles, and an audible laugh (he wasn't sure whether it was James or Alex). He took a seat at the other end of the table, opposite to James; with Lily, Alex and Lisa on the sides, and Eve on James's lap.

He stared at his hands for a while, not meeting the eyes of the others until James spoke, "We thought that we could have breakfast after you woke up."

"And you are late", Alex added, glaring at Harry before Lily shushed him. Harry raised his eyebrows, confused at the sudden vehemence.

"We normally have breakfast at 8:00 in the morning", Lily explained casually with a flick of her wrist, "you woke up a little late."

"It's 10:30", Lisa complained, despite trying her best not to whine like a child and Alex agreed with a fervent nod. Harry gave his own nod, finally understanding the problem and went to back to staring at his hands.

"But, but", Alex sputtered, waving his hands around before turning to face Lily, "He didn't even apologize. You always scold whenever I don't apologize for being rude."

"This is different, Alex", Lily strove to pacify her younger son while trying not to sound partial and ignored the narrow-eyed stare from Lisa. "Now why don't we eat?"

Alex pouted, his hands crossed across his chest and tried to burn the bacon on his plate with his stare. Harry shifted his gaze to glance at Alex. "Uh, Sorry?" he attempted while meeting Lily's eyes and Lily answered with a smile before she rose from her seat to place a bowl of cereal in front of him. The liquid was a pale brown and he peered over his bowl to glance at the white milk in the other bowl at the center.

"Nutrient potions are easier to take when mixed with some other fluids like milk", She elucidated after he grimaced at the weird color of the milk. He lifted the spoon from the side and poked the corn pieces floating on the top; the ripples produced in the brown liquid made it less preferable than before. He took a reluctant bite, wincing before it reached his lips and gulped the entire amount in an instant as his hunger won over his reluctance.

He prepared for the inevitable sourness but it never came and instead it tasted like...like...he rummaged his brain for the word…Ah, Chocolate! He loosed his grip on the spoon and relaxed in his seat before taking another sip and savored the taste for a while. He ignored the rest of the occupants of the table for a while, filling his growling stomach to the brim until someone poked at his thigh and he glanced around for the culprit before gazing down upon the little girl standing beside his chair with her own bowl in her hands. She gestured to the little bowl in her hands and then to her little mouth, "Today, it's your turn."

He blinked, confused by this sudden intrusion of his privacy and his brain performed another search, diving deep into the desolate corners of his dormant mind to process what this little girl was trying to convey. James was about to rise from his seat when Harry lifted the bowl from Eve's little hands, freeing her from her burden and placed it beside his bowl. He then gently took her into his arms and settled her on the table.

What had happened next was utterly fascinating to his inexperienced mind. The way his hands moved without his own consent to feed the adorable child in front of him, a few droplets of white milk dripped down the corners of her mouth, the white of the milk looked translucent over her pale skin but contrasting the rosy tint of her moist lips, the way her soft, and flushed cheeks jiggled with each bite she took and the way her eyelids fluttered with each gulp, obscuring her sky blue eyes from the world. Fascinating.

He lifted his other hand and poked her right cheek with his index finger, the soft and smooth feel of her skin beneath his fingers enthralled his senses and he felt a desperate need to protect this innocence from the invisible enemies of this world. He had no idea that the warm feeling blossoming in his chest was his brotherly love for his sister but he grabbed her small hand in his and placed a tentative kiss on her knuckles.

* * *

James and Lily observed the entire spectacle from their seats, their eyes suddenly moist but a serene smile gracing their faces and Lisa had no intention of disturbing this moment of tranquility while Alex was subtly stealing the bacon from his dad's plate. Lily felt that she could cherish such moments forever if she had the chance, these moments where this peace could not be disturbed by anybody...Before she could finish the thought, the fireplace blared and Sirius walked in.

"I have an impeccable timing, Don't I?" Sirius stated as he eyed the breakfast on the table, "After a late night shift, I almost thought that I was going starve until afternoon."

James involuntarily shook his head, a habit developed over the years due to the antics of his friend. He wondered about the sudden decline in the amount of food in his plate before he shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast with a smile plastered on his face. Alex barely restrained his smirk which altered into a grin when he noticed the thumbs up from his mentor.

Harry flushed a deep red at the sight of Sirius, his face matched the color of Eve's hair and he subtly shifted his chair so that he was obscured from sight. Lily, who noticed this, twisted her chair to face the grinning visage of Sirius and narrowed her eyes, "What did you do?"

The grin vanished from Sirius's face in an instant and he strove to look confused but the twitching of his lips gave him away. "In my defense, I have his best interests at heart."

"That simply means that you are guilty."

"You cannot be farther from the truth. It was an honest attempt to augment his imagination", Sirius retorted with a shrug, not meeting her eyes while he spoke.

"I sense the forthcoming of a 'but'"

"Of course. Every great cause has its repercussions", he proclaimed with a nod of his head, "And you should be elated that there are but a few in this struggle."

Sirius rose from his seat and paced around the table for a moment before he continued, "I merely supplied him with a trigger to spark his imagination, the trigger being a magazine name 'Playboy' in this case. I did not want my godson to be fooled by the prudish drivel that Remus spouts; the birds, and bees or whatever innuendos he came up with. Remus, while being good at heart and mind, does not have the experience needed to subtly ingrain the mind with the beauty of the world."

The wand inadvertently appeared in Lily's hand at the word 'Playboy' and the by the time Sirius reached the door while ranting his monolog, the wand was emitting a few sparks. At the sight of the wand, Sirius barged out of the door, followed by Lily. James calmly grabbed the Daily Prophet on the table, leaned back in his chair and ignored the shouts from the outside.

"It's an adult magazine, you dim-witted mutt", Lily shouted from the base of the tree upon which Sirius was seated.

"That's why I placed a sleeping charm on the first page", Sirius reasoned as he munched on the omelet he stole before his exit. "As I've asserted, I have his best interests at heart."

The argument went on for a while and by the time they entered the house, Sirius had a glistening bald head. Nobody questioned this. Not even Harry.

* * *

"In what color do you want to paint the room?" James inquired as they reached Harry's room with Sirius in tow. They looked around the room for a while, traversing along the length, with James and Sirius being lost in their stroll down the memory lane as the ghosts of the past glided across the room.

"Blue", Harry replied, an image of Eve's eyes formed in his mind, "sky blue".

James conjured a thin bucket, strode to the bathroom, filled the bucket with water and then Sirius dropped a blue marble into it. "A prankster always keeps his gadgets within his reach", Sirius advised as he glanced at the frown on Harry's face. The water altered into to a light blue color, matching the color of the cloudless sky and they began to paint the room with the help of a few conjured brushes.

"Harry, If you need any practice, you can use Sirius's head. I am certain that a better platform could not be found", James suggested, gesturing towards the Sirius's shining head, "I can only imagine the smoothness of the surface, the brush sliding down with ease, the color of the paint clashing with the tan of his head..."

Before James could finish, Sirius threw one of the pink marbles at James and it burst in mid-air, spraying the entire room with Pink. The war only ended when Lily barged into the room to check on their progress, only to stare at the state of the room and the threats she made had finally subdued the chaos. James was sure that the only reason they were pardoned was due to the situation reminding her of the glimpses of the past.

By the time they finished, each of them crowded the walls with their boundless imagination while they idly chatted and Harry listened with rapt attention to their anecdotes, his cheeks hurting with laughter. The room looked fine, they agreed, most of the work done by the subtle movements of the wands behind Harry's back. The sun was about to drop the below the horizon, the dying beams permeated the sky with their bright hues of orange and red and they finally gave in to their exhaustion.

They vanished the paint on their bodies before they collapsed on the bed as their eyelids struggled in vain to maintain the gap between them while their bodies ached in protest to their struggle. Meanwhile, Harry was bouncing on the bed, unmitigated by the exhaustion and boredom, a testament to the fact that the nutrient potions were functioning fabulously.

"Let's go outside", Harry proposed after gazing out of the window before he leaped from the bed and rushed to the door. "You are not coming?"

"Ah, here's an idea. Why don't you read something in the library before Remus and I pick you up for our discussion?" James urged, trying not to sound desperate, "We'll be there in an hour."

"It's on the other corner of the corridor", Sirius added, sounding as worn out as he was.

Harry shrugged before dashing through the corridor with a quick wave.

"I don't think that I was that exuberant when I was a kid", James pondered.

"Of course not", Sirius agreed before dozing off.

"Yeah."

* * *

Harry stood before the mahogany door, scrutinizing the intricate carvings on the wood with a hawkish gaze as the tugging feeling at his mind returned and his brain tried its hardest to lug at the echoes inside its walls. It was a futile effort. Giving up on this endeavor, he pushed the door to reveal an immaculately clean room, furnished with rows and rows of wooden racks which were stocked to their maximum with tomes, parchments, newspapers, magazines and everything that can be used to procure knowledge.

He felt that he was doing an injustice by calling this a room as the amount of space it occupied was thrice that of the hall; Walls equipped with lamps containing bright red flames, large windows parallel to each rack at the top of each wall that was barred with wood with flecks of dust floating through windows being visible due to the light permeating through the gaps. He took a few moments to admire the splendor of the expanse before he traipsed along the racks and picked the first tome in sight.

'The standard book of spells, Grade 1' by Miranda Goshawk.

It appeared as though the book was put to much use; the cover has worn out and pages frayed at the edges with a tint of a light yellow over some pages. He took a seat on the chair beside him and browsed through the book for a while, stumbling over spells like the unlocking charm, the mending charm, the softening charm; the familiarity of the spells seeping through his mind as he flipped through the pages before his gaze fell upon the Fire-making spell, _Incendio._

 _"From lighting a warm hearth to igniting a Christmas pudding, the Fire-Making Spell is always useful around the wizarding household. However, the ability to produce fire with the flick of a wand can be dangerous to your fellow students (and worse, your books)."_

As he read through the lines, he abruptly felt weary as the echoes reverberating through the room sounded like a lull, trying to smother him with the caress of a mother and he succumbed to the drowsiness of his thoughts as the world around him vanished into a dingy darkness.

" _I knew I could find you in here", Blaise stated as he settled across him before slamming his Defense against Dark Arts text on the table with a light thud and ignored the glare he received from the librarian, Ms. Pince. He appeared weary, likely to be an after effect of attending the stuttering fool's class; but to the outside world he seemed as perfect as he could be and Harry almost rolled his eyes at his devotion towards etiquette and appearances. Harry became proficient at reading between the lines and subtle signs that generally accompanied Blaise's presence; those being that only proof that he is human, for, without these, Harry felt like he's dawdling in the dark, talking to a brick wall that only provides you with monotonous answers. It's not a good feeling._

 _Right now, Blaise's eyelids were fluttering with each page he turned, his head supported by his left hand instead of the usual tilt, the dull movement of the irises as he browsed through the book with nonchalance and an air of feigned ignorance that enveloped his countenance. The conclusion: he's exhausted._

 _Or one could simply guess that anybody who attended the DADA class will undoubtedly be worn out._

" _This book seems more knowledgeable, easy on the eyes, doesn't smell of garlic, doesn't stutter and do you know the best part? It doesn't give me a freaking headache", Harry reasoned, momentarily taking his glance away from the book to stare at Blaise._

" _Hmm", Blaise replied; which probably meant that he understood the concern but there is no way in which he could help._

" _I know", Harry lamented as he crossed his hands behind his head while leaning back in his chair, "Madam Pomfrey declared that this is the last leave that I could take for this month and this is the first week of October. I have no idea how I'm going to survive for the rest of the month."_

" _Hmm."_

" _I wish I could set his turban on fire", Harry continued, aware that his friend was still listening to his rant, "Do you know that Garlic is one of the ten common household items that is highly flammable? Just imagine. The entire classroom blazing with thick flames, garlic popping everywhere, the fire crawling over the wood of the tables and chairs, savoring everything in its way..."_

 _Blaise turned his head to gaze at the slightly deranged look on Harry's face and his lips curved at the edges as his eyes scrutinized every aspect of Harry's face; drawing pleasure from the fact that only he could get to see this aspect of Harry; the unhinged Harry with no smiles or masks concealing the power rolling behind his emerald irises._

 _And in an instant, it was gone, replaced with a bored, half-lidded expression and for the untrained eyes, it would appear as though he was merely excited about something but Blaise was trained to notice things that others would miss, scrutinize facts that appear irrelevant._

" _Do you think that Snape's greasy hair is inflammable?" Harry pondered as he stared at Blaise, "It certainly appears that way. Though, only an imbecile would work with potions with an inflammable hair and Snape is anything but stupid."_

" _I don't reckon that we would have any issues with Snape for now", Blaise remarked as he closed his book after concluding that it's a futile effort to concentrate at the moment, "He seems torn between smothering you with a hug or strangling you with his cloak."_

" _Please don't remind me", Harry requested with a shudder as he imagined the constipated look on Snape's face, "I feel as though his gaze passes right through me; like he's imagining someone else in my place."_

" _So you've noticed."_

" _It's clear as a day."_

 _Before they could ponder upon this, they were interrupted by a bushy, brown haired girl with buck teeth, chocolate brown eyes and an enthusiasm that could wake the dead from the grave. Harry constantly felt that Blaise and Hermione are the polar opposites of each other. Blaise didn't appreciate the comparison._

" _Harry! What are you doing? Are you busy? Should I come at some other time? It's not that important anyway. I know that you told me not to disturb you when you are busy but I just had a Transfiguration class and I was confused about something you said the other day", Hermione fired in rapid succession before taking a huge breath of air and stared at him for a response. Blaise had already twisted his chair to escape the talons of this knowledge-crazy witch._

" _No, I am not busy. We were merely discussing ways to set Snape's hair on fire", Harry replied and ignored her horrified gasp with practiced ease. "Details aside, what are you confused about?"_

" _Harry, you cannot assault a professor! Oh my god, you could be expelled!" Hermione shouted in a whisper. "You were joking, right?" She suspected after glancing at his laugh, "Of course, you were joking."_

" _Now, you mentioned that you can turn the matchstick into any metal as long the metal cannot be used as a substitute for money", she stated before nodding to herself, "But today, I tried to transfigure the matchstick to Rhodium, one of the metals used in the muggle world but it didn't transform!"_

 _Before she could hyperventilate, Harry positioned her in a nearby chair and waited until she was no longer in danger of going into hysterics. "Hermione, in the wizarding world, Rhodium is an unknown element. It doesn't have any value and it couldn't be bartered for money. But in the muggle world, Rhodium is one of the costliest metals and since you are a muggle-born witch, deep down, you know it's valuable. it's worth something. And according to the Gamp's laws of elemental transfiguration, you cannot create money or in wizarding terms, Gold. But in your case, the Rhodium can also be considered as money and hence, abiding by the rules of magic, you cannot transfigure something into Rhodium. Even if you cross this barrier, the amount of magical power required to accomplish this transfiguration will be huge...So huge that you would need a ley line to manage this."_

 _By the time he was finished, her eyes were wide with amazement, glowing with a brightness that only few could manage. "That's why I always advise..."_

" _Accept. Analyze. Advance", she parroted with reverence and Harry had to hold back a genuine smile but a few trinkets of mirth had escaped, forming a half-smile on his lips._

" _Now, before you scourge the library for more info, another advice: If you cannot break the rules, change them. Our magic is only bound by our limitations and you can only transcend the realm of reality with you imagination. Do not, I emphasize, do not be limited by your beliefs. Now, Scuttle."_

 _He was accorded with a fervent nod before she scampered off to another section of the library. He stared after her for a while before his face revamped to his cold, aloof expression, his posture loosened, the light dimmed behind his irises and the Harry everybody knows was back._

" _She cannot be changed by mere words, not even from you", Blaise asserted as he twisted his chair and stared at the retreating form of Hermione, "Do you know that she chose Gryffindor because Dumbledore was once a Gryffindor?"_

" _I do. But there is still hope for her. I just wish that Gryffindor wouldn't quell her spirit; they can be as ruthless as they are stupid", Harry informed with a sigh, rubbing at his forehead, "But what I can't comprehend is why you hate her. You were the one who advised me to make allies of students with potential and she has that in spades."_

" _Right now, she is a scant liability, a mere rock that can be sharpened into a diamond and I do not have the skill or time to nurture people", Blaise rebuked with a smirk, "In fact, I believe that it's your job; motivating the morons, nurturing the needy and helping the hopeless. No wonder you have fangirls hoarding after you."_

 _They simultaneously shifted their gazes to stare at a blond, pig-tailed girl who was spying on them through a gap between the books and at their collective stare, she blushed crimson before scuttling out of the library with a squeak._

 _'What was her name? Anne...Han...Ah, got it. Hannah.'_

 _Saying that Ms. Pince was irritated is an understatement. A huge one at that._

 _Harry shook his head, as not for the first time, he blamed his feminine looks for his predicament; The blood-red hair combined with the angled face and emerald-green eyes he had inherited from his mother was a recipe for disaster. Handsome and good-looking? Fine. But people calling him cute and pretty was where he had drawn the line. The moniker, 'Dashing Duo', coined by some of the Gryffindor girls for him and Blaise still made him crawl under the table and bang his head on the floor._

" _I lay the blame upon the Old coot. He 'requested' of me to mingle with the other students to elude the tendrils of my other 'tendencies'. His words, not mine. He spouted some drivel about 'love' triumphing over 'hatred' and other vanities", Harry protested as he packed his books to elude the evil stare from the librarian. It's a miracle that the books didn't catch fire from her gaze. Harry suspected the use of flame-repelling charms._

" _I'm sure that the Headmaster had his reasons", Blaise mentioned with a smirk as he twirled the DADA book on his fingertips, "Or he could be alarmed that the hat placed you in Slytherin and reached to his own conclusions. But he did not show any outward reaction to your sorting. In fact, he looked as though he had anticipated that."_

 _Not for the first time, Harry cursed the observation skills of Blaise; Blaise didn't even take a week to deduce that Harry has a crazy side to him. That's a huge accomplishment in Harry's book; for he had evolved the mask over a span of a year. Not that it's perfect but he was sure that he didn't even slip for a moment during his first week at Hogwarts._

" _The Headmaster was the one who arrived to deliver my Hogwarts letter", Harry confessed as they strolled down the fourth-floor corridor, "And that's all I'm going to reveal for now."_

" _Interesting", Blaise verbalized, his smirk grew more pronounced, "Not entirely unexpected but undoubtedly intriguing."_

 _Before they could wander down this line for conversation, they were impeded by a petrified figure lying on the floor. The figure was drenched in water, the hair stuck to the floor as a result and the pale, tear stained face was clearly visible for the world to see._

" _Finite", Harry muttered as he released Neville from the clutches of the petrification charm. He lifted Neville by his shoulders and leaned him against the stone wall beside them._

" _Thank you, Harry", Neville murmured in a weak voice as he shivered from the cold and coughed; the jerk of a cough dislodged him from the wall before he righted himself by taking support from Harry's shoulders. "Just some seniors playing a prank."_

" _Yes, Slytherins. I know", Harry observed as he leaned beside Neville, "There nothing I can do to help right now but I suggest that you need to have a chat with Madam Pomfrey. First floor, Hospital Tower. Cold is not something I would prefer when the winter is trailing behind our backs."_

" _Okay", Neville whispered with a shaky breath as he straightened himself with the help of the wall and twisted around to begin his long stroll._

" _And Neville", Harry called to Neville's retreating back, "Stick to the shadows if you want to wander around. Unnoticed."_

 _Neville gave a bright smile before trudging down the corridor with renewed vigor; his pudgy body grazed the stone walls and Blaise rolled his eyes at the inefficacious struggle._

" _As I was saying...", Blaise commented with his hands crossed over his chest._

" _There are some bright sparks at Hogwarts and I do not want to see them extinguished before they can be fueled into blazing flames", Harry conceded as he gazed at the forbidden forest from the window._

" _You know, sometimes your fanatic fixation with fire frightens me."_

" _Oh, it should, my dear friend, it should. Do not be fooled by the pretenses. For the Devil was once an Angel."_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: For those who did not read the Author's note at the top and are confused: I am planning on elucidating the past in a non-linear plot. I am not skipping up on the major plots.**_

 _ **Initially, I've planned on posting a chapter consisting of 10-12k words but then I was faced with a dilemma. The next major event occurs after a month and I have no idea whether I should provide the readers with mere snippets of the happenings during the month and continue with the plot or elucidate the entire month in a separate chapter.**_

 _ **So, should I post an interlude or another chapter? You can either review your opinion or PM me. The next chapter will be posted by Sunday night.**_

 _ **If you have any qualms regarding my writing style or story, Review.**_


	6. Darkest before Dawn

**I've based the appearance of 'Harry' on his personality. The red symbolizes his anger and his pyromaniac tendencies while his feminine features personify his angelic guise, behind which he conceals his deranged bearing.**

 **The black represents emptiness. Amnesia, the emptiness in his mind. Red hair in the midst of black hair. The interweaving of the memories from the past and the present.**

 **Disclaimer: Tale weaved with words, behaviors bounded by imagination, with characters called upon from the creativity of another mind.**

* * *

Harry opened his eyes to a blurred vicinity before his vision cleared to reveal the familiar sight of the Potter library. His head felt as though it was bludgeoned with a sledgehammer, repeatedly. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, holding his forehead in a vice grip and pounded the back of his head to the wall behind him. The pain receded after a few seconds and his arm fell limp beside him as he breathed heavily before his gaze fell upon the book in his other hand. He experienced a fleeting moment of panic as the pain rushed back before it vanished completely and he breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the book to place it on the desk.

He walked over to a window to stare at the stupefying starry night sky and he spent the next few minutes in a silent contemplation as he leaned over the window sill. Waves of dark orange were spread across the sky as the night succeeded in its endeavor of conquering the day and the stars were shining brightly in gratitude, their luminescence binding but endearing.

'The last one was not this painful' he thought as he rubbed at his temples. 'Maybe it depends on the length or importance of each memory. It did reveal a lot'

He relished the peace of the moment as he gazed at the meadow below him. It was surrounded by huge trees whose branches swayed with the wind blowing through the vicinity. A few stray leaves were drifting through the air, unperturbed by the fierceness of howling wind around them as they enjoyed their short flights before piling up at the base of the trees.

He heard a distant pop and twisted his neck to catch a glimpse of Remus walking through the meadow and as Remus disappeared through the gate, Harry concluded his contemplation to gaze back at the library. He returned the book to its previous place and vowed to himself that he would return to it. His vow did seem stupid when he thought about it afterward.

He dashed through the corridor, ran down the steps and opened the door with a grin. He took a few rapid breaths, bent over knee before righting himself.

Remus was standing at the other side with his hand raised for a knock and he smiled at the sight of the exuberant Harry.

"The window. Library", Harry explained before Remus could ask and stepped to the side to let him in. Remus gave a nod before strolling down the hallway to reach the sofa and collapsed on it.

Harry frowned before gazing at the night sky to locate the moon. The moon was obscured by a few dark clouds which were drifting along the sky due to the mild winds. Within moments the entire moon was visible in its infinite glory with only a few shades of white missing from sight and Harry was captivated by the sight before he blinked to escape the bewitching mass above him.

'The full moon day is near', Harry concluded as he shifted his gaze to an exhausted Remus. He sauntered down to a comfy chair, settled on it and placed his head on the palm of his hand.

"Dad is in my room. Sleeping with Sirius", Harry explained as Remus scoured the room for the sight of any other person.

Remus jolted in his place, wide-eyed and stared incredulously at Harry before falling back on the cushions as he shook his head. Harry raised his eyebrows at this reaction but remained silent.

"I thought that Sirius was embellishing when he informed that you were in dire need of the 'Talk'", Remus commented while rubbing at the stubbly chin. "He has a habit of doing that. Frequently".

Harry shrugged and shifted his gaze to his mother who was walking down the stairs with a drowsy James in tow. Sirius was nowhere in sight and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, for he had no intention of relieving his embarrassment. Ever.

"Ah, James, You are awake. I just heard that you were sleeping with Sirius", Remus mentioned with a one-armed shrug while glancing at Lily.

Lily chortled and James opened a bleary eye to glare at Remus with thinned lips, "That joke stopped being funny after the sixth year."

Remus shook his head. "Well, the audience disagree. But, Harry was the one who informed me." Harry gave an absent-minded nod.

Lily and James settled down on the sofa, opposite to Remus. "Ah", James understood as he peered over his eyelids at Harry.

Remus met their eyes. "I don't have much time. You know, as the night progresses...", he indicated towards the sky.

Lily nodded. The few nights before and after the full moon are exhausting to the werewolf as since the night progress, the pull on their magic by the moon increases and so does the pain. The wolfsbane is for the full moon night. But for the nights before the full moon? Well, Endurance was an acquired trait.

"Let us go outside", Harry suggested as the exuberance returned to his bones. He hopped from his chair, ran to the door and surveyed the occupants of the room. "Outside", he iterated at their reluctant stares.

James and Remus rose from their seats and trudged to the door. "Dinner at 7", Lily reminded them before she sauntered off to check on the other children.

James and Remus strolled down the meadow while Harry scampered. His ebullience bought a smile to their exhausted visages and they settled down at the base of an enormous willow tree. The darkness of the night was lurking behind the innocent clouds as they prepared for the inevitable discussion. The moon was a pale drop in the orange ocean of the sky and Remus felt that he could manage his primitive side for this night.

What followed next was more of a lesson on concentration than it was on the amusing effects of the human body. Remus, who was sure till then that he could easily manage a class was suddenly dubious on his chances of becoming a teacher. 'Lisa was so easy to teach. Though I did not hold high expectations of other students, this is...this is far beyond my expectations', he groaned.

Harry was more interested in his surroundings than on the words coming out of their mouth. His eyes constantly flickered to other directions; The night sky, the swaying leaves above them, the chatter of the insects, the rustle of the leaves with each movement of the small animals in the wildness, the hoots of the invisible owls and most importantly, the sound of life.

A shift of concentration was common but when Harry tried to catch the leaves falling around them, jolted with each movement of any insect around him, jerked his head to seize a glimpse of a shining star... Remus felt that he was dealing with the all the chaos in the world captured in the body of a child. It didn't help that James gave up on this struggle within a few moments. And it certainly didn't help that Sirius scarred the mind of Harry on his first experience with the word, 'Talk'.

And finally, just moments before Remus was about to exhaust his complete reserves of patience he had accumulated for such situations, the discussion came to an end. Remus had no idea whether Harry had even listened to a word of what he had uttered but he was simply elated that he crossed this obstacle. A milestone in his short of experience in the teaching field and there was no way he would ever forget this. Ever.

It was twenty minutes to eight and Remus had no intention of having a meal right now. So he sprawled over the grass beside James and Harry followed suit. They remained silent for a while, lost in their own contemplation and relished the subtle warmth of nature.

"Do you know that Sirius was named after a star?" Remus inquired before cursing his stupidity. 'Of course, he doesn't.'

Harry shook his head as he paid no heed to the mud sticking to his hair with each jerk of his head. Not that Remus could see it.

"The Blacks had a tradition of naming their children after the stars", Remus continued as he gazed at the plethora of stars above them, "Sirius is the brightest star in the Earth's night sky."

Harry searched for the brightest star and it was hard to focus on his task when thousands of bright stars were staring at him, twinkling without shame to enrapture his mind but after a few seconds he found the brightest; Twinkling with different colors, low in the winter evening sky.

"Sirius is easy to find. It is twice as bright as the next brightest star and in some areas, it's visible even during the day. But the amusing fact is that it is also known as the 'Dog Star'", Remus informed with an amused smile. "It's merely a coincidence", he mentioned after glancing at Harry's curious stare.

"What are you named after?" Harry inquired, glancing sideways at Remus.

"My mother was a muggle, a person with no magic and she used to believe in the old roman myths. Remus and Romulus were twins who were raised by a she-wolf, Lupa and Romulus went on to establish Rome. When she married my father and took the surname Lupin, she decided that my name would be Remus."

"Does every name has a meaning?"

"Most of the old families have their own ways of naming their progeny. In the olden days, names were spoken with reverence and they believed that names have power. So, they named their children after their ancestors or gods or the greatest sorcerers. And the tradition continued. In fact, you are named after an emperor, Hadrian, who ruled Rome during the 2nd century."

"Hadrian?" Harry startled and turned in his place to glare at Remus. Remus jolted at the sudden shout and James twitched for a moment before drifting back to sleep.

"Yes, Harry is short for Hadrian", Remus placated with raised hands. "Don't worry. You are not the only one. Lisa is short for Lisanne and Alex is short for Alexander."

"Alexander?" Harry guffawed as his previous agitation was ignored. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"You can exploit it for all its worth but don't mention my name. Alex could be merciless at his pranks", Remus insisted with his own smile. Harry gave a distracted nod as he continued to laugh.

They chatted on for a while, ignoring the sleepy mumblings of James and their darkened surroundings. Remus disregarded his previous misgivings as he satiated the curiosity of the child before him and their conversation only ended when James finally woke up to a bird pecking at his hair.

"What time is it?" James inquired with a yawn as he glanced to his sides. Harry yawned at this and hopped to his feet while Remus took his own time for he was burdened by old scars and the exhaustion that comes with experience.

"Late enough for you to wake up", Remus admonished as he stretched his legs and they made popping sounds as the stiff bones returned to their places. Harry who noticed this, tried to imitate it but was disappointed at his futile effort.

"Spare me the glare", James rebuked as he rose to his feet and stretched his body to the same popping sounds.

Harry's displeased gaze at his legs could have made them duck with shame.

They retraced their path as they marched towards the house and Harry was way ahead of them, staring at the house for the first time from the outside. It gave the impression of an elegant manor built with sturdy gray stones with a dark brown hip and gabled roof covering the top. The stone pathway leading to the manor was surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges on both sides with a few vines stretching over the hedges to spread over the path. Three chimneys could be found at the top with smoke gliding out of the taller one in the middle with identical vents on both sides. A few windows protruded out of the front and Harry recognized the window of the library that was situated to the furthest right with an orange light of the burning lamps being visible. The letter 'P' was engraved on the oak doors, surrounded by intricate floral patterns and some of the symbols he had seen on the mahogany door of the library before.

"For a moment down there, I completely doubted my teaching skills", Remus whispered to James with his hands in the pockets of his robe. "I was having an easy time with Lisa till now and I have to step up my game."

"Don't jump to conclusions. It's Harry you are talking about. He is seeing the outside world for the first time and of course he'd be distracted. Don't forget that he is still a child at mind", James argued in a gruff voice; courtesy of his sleep. "He was completely captivated by the time I woke up."

"I know", Remus muttered with a sigh before calling out to Harry as they reached the door. Harry, who was about to barge through the door, swiveled in his place.

"What did you learn from your first lesson?" Remus quizzed with his hands crossed over his chest as he gazed down at Harry. Harry raised his eyebrows at the sudden shift in the mood but answered.

"As long as you think with your brain and decide with your heart, there is nothing to worry." And with that Harry marched through the door. Had he looked back, he would have noticed the bright and relieved smile on Remus's face.

"I told you", James smirked before walking down the hallway with Remus in tow.

"That you did."

* * *

Feeding Evelyn became a daily routine for Harry. She stopped taking turns after the first day and frankly, Harry didn't mind. It was always fascinating for him to watch her eat and he didn't feel that it's going to change for a few years. It helped that the rest of the Potter family felt the same way. After breakfast, he carries her to her room on his shoulders and she indulged him with her amusing talk and silly games of the children.

The animated dolls that role played for their respective stories were interesting and intriguing for a few days and then his preteen mind got bored of the silly antics of the figurines. But he stayed. Not for the dolls but for the silly antics of his sister. The sudden giggles, the shine that never faded from her sky blue eyes, the mind that never rests until her eyelids droop, the incessant stream of innocent words flowing from her little mouth, the way she could find happiness in the smallest things were enough of a reason for him to stay. Each time she uttered his name with a missing 'h', her pink tongue sticking out of her mouth, the lips that barely part with each word, her soft voice was music to his ears and he felt that he would do anything for her.

The bedtime stories were informative. He enjoyed them as much she did and that was no small feat. Evelyn simply loved her stories. Some of the tales made him ponder over them for the rest of the night. Some of them made him guffaw at their lack of common sense and during such times, a glare from Evelyn was all that's needed to make him confine his laughter to the darkest pits of his mouth. Some enraptured him in a way that it took him weeks to take his mind of them. Some made him laugh, some made him cry and some managed to do both at the same time. It was captivating. This led to his frequent trips to the library and his budding love for books. Lily certainly appreciated this change.

* * *

Evelyn had always yearned for only one thing: Love. And the Potter family had that in spades. But they only showed it in the times of need. When they were on the brink of desperation. When they were lost in the depths of despair. When they were lulled into a sadness so deep that affection is the only way to survive. It took her a few years to understand that it was because of her brother who was sick.

'Maybe it's the way adults functioned', She reasoned.

Love as a means and not as a way of life. If that was the truth, she definitely did not want to be an adult. She did not want to lose herself to the ways of the world.

So she indulged in her mischief. And with mischief came the accidents and with these frequent accidents, they would need to look after her. At all times. It definitely worked. It almost became an involuntary reaction for the Potter family to search for her in the room and then breathe a sigh of relief. But within days, it got exhausting. Love as a sense of duty was what she hated.

And her life continued. Filled with affection and Love. Only for brief moments and then it turned into responsibility. Her brother and sister were fine until they too grew up. Her brother was occupied with pranks and her sister was occupied with her books. And then she was alone. The only child in the house of grown-ups.

And then one day, another brother showed up. Only, this time, he was already a grown up. She lost her hope as she noticed this. But the next morning, as he sat on the chair, staring at his hands, sneaking glances at the occupants of the table, she saw the child in him. And she built up the meager amount of courage in her little body to go up to him with her bowl. At his confused look at her request, she dropped her eyes to the floor. Another adult.

But when he lifted her onto the table and fed her, stared at her with his large green eyes, the eyes that never shifted from her face, she felt truly happy after a long time. Her small stomach was already full. This time with love. She decided that she would cherish her little bout of fleeting courage to go up to her brother for the rest of her life.

For the next few days, she felt as though her dreams came true. Someone who loved her unconditionally. He did not waver even after seeing her dolls, her childish antics, her insane wishes to carry her around the house on his shoulders and most importantly, he read stories to her. It was beautiful and life was satisfying for her young heart. Fairy tales coming true was a dream for every child but with them, she realized that even the people in those tales crave the same thing that she did: Love. And for her, this was a fairy tale come true.

But the childish fear, lurking in the chambers of her heart did not disappear after a few days. It lingered, forming shreds of doubt in her simple thoughts, waiting for the right opportunity to strike at her mild insecurities, peeking through the holes of her mind to lash out at any moment. For, even Harry would grow up and then she would be left alone. Again.

Her simplest fear was the most poisonous.

So, that night, as he read another story to her, she slowly wrapped her tiny hands around her brother's index finger. Hoping that he would stay for the rest of night with her. That he wouldn't dare to unclasp her fingers and lose his grip on her.

For her heart, this was enough of a test. A test that no one passed till now. The adults disappeared into their own worlds as she drifted away from hers and by the morning, as she woke up, her hand would be empty and so would be the bed. They leave her, taking her faith in them.

That night, she slept, hoping for a miracle to happen.

And the next morning, she woke up to the bright light of the morning sun peeking over the translucent clouds and instantly glanced to her hand, already expecting the inevitable. A little empty hand. But what she saw made her heart flutter with joy for the first time in her short life.

Her little fingers were clutching the finger of her brother, who was sleeping peacefully as he leaned over the bed post while squatting down on the floor, in a vice grip. The glow on her adorable face could have rivaled the sun and she stared at the sleeping form of her brother for a few minutes before her sleep took over.

Satisfaction could be found in the smallest of things but sometimes you may need a miracle.

Darkness engulfed her sight as she closed her eyelids, but this time, she was not afraid of blackness creeping its way into her world as she slept. For she was sure that her brother would be there beside her. Always.

* * *

Alex was entranced by the unfamiliar mix of colors swirling in the cup of water before him when he heard the curious tone of his brother.

"Are they always fun? You know, Pranks."

Deep down Alex knew the answer. Sometimes, they were funny. For the people on both sides. Sometimes, it could be humiliating for the victim but funny for the perpetrator and sometimes... they were merely a way of dealing with our own issues.

His parents used to be lost in their own sadness while his godfather was weighed down by his own burdens. So when he heard about their pranks for the first time, he found a way to deal with the misery in this house. A way to bring smiles to their faces. A way to make them realize that their legacy could still continue. Pranks.

They were exciting for the first few months. The skill required to plan a prank, the finesse to execute it, the thrill of not getting caught, the joy in seeing his plan work, the web of lies to escape the punishment and most importantly, the momentary smiles on the faces of his family.

But like any other thing, it got exhausting. The smiles turned to frowns, the lies became a routine and the joy altered into exhaustion. But it was his way of life, the way he dealt with the world, his anchor in this existence. His frequent spats with his sister were the repercussions that he had to deal with. Even though they could be depressing.

"Sometimes", Alex answered truthfully. He was tired of the lies.

Harry gave a nod, for he too was captivated by the swirling colors in the water. "Which oblivious soul is going to be the victim?"

"Lisa", Alex muttered in a bored tone before adding a red powder to the mix. The liquid turned a bright pink and they both 'aah' ed at the change. "Lisa hates the color pink."

"Why is the Lisa the victim every time?"

Alex turned to face Harry. "Then who should I prank? Evelyn? The rest of them are adults."

"Exactly. What is the use in playing pranks on an innocent and ignorant person when you can wage war on the veterans?"

"Veterans?" Alex inquired with a skeptical glance.

"Yes, veterans. The real fun and challenge would be in clashing with the experienced. The times when you are not sure whether it would work. When the blood is pumping through your veins. When you have to bear the casualties. When you need to give your best to taste the thrill of a victory. That is the feel of a battle."

Alex pondered over it while Harry kept on adding different colors to the pink liquid. As he watched the shift in the color from pink to a dark red, he decided that there is a necessity for change.

They planned the prank for a week. It was the longest Alex had ever toiled but he was not sure whether it would work and he felt that he could cherish this uncertainty. And he noticed another thing. It was exhilarating to have a partner in crime with whom you can discuss the ideas, someone who would dare to contradict you, to cover for you, to take the blame when caught. The appreciation for his ideas, the improvements possible with the help of another mind, the understanding that passes between their eyes, the thoughts that pass between two like-minded people.

For the first time, Alex understood what it feels to have a person who has your back. He always imagined that the strength of the Marauders lay in their skill but as he glanced at his brother who was buried neck deep in parchments, he grasped the true strength of the Marauders. Their teamwork.

That morning, the members of the Potter family finished their breakfast in peace. That in itself was a cause for worry. As James and Sirius got ready to apparate to the ministry, Harry shouted to Alex.

"You know you can't do it, Alexander."

"It's Alex!" Alex yelled while shaking his fists in the air, "And if you can do it, even I can do it."

"We'll see", Harry smirked as he walked up to James and Sirius. "Can I see your wands?" Harry pleaded with a pout as he deployed the full power of his large green eyes on the two Aurors. It's just his luck that Lily was not there at that moment.

James and Sirius relented after a minute and Harry held the wands in each of his hands as strolled towards Alex. He pointed the wands to his sides and they simultaneously emitted a few sparks. Evelyn clapped as she giggled at the spectacle.

Alex snatched the wands from Harry's hands and tried to do the same with confidence radiating from his frame. Sadly, It didn't work. So he ran down the hallway with the wands and Harry rushed after him to grab them. There were some sounds of struggle, some shouts, threats and few vows for revenge But after a few moments, Harry returned with the wands with a pouting Alex in tow.

"Sorry", Alex mumbled as Harry returned the wands to James and Sirius. James and Sirius ruffled their hair before dashing out of the door to Apparate.

In hindsight, they should have doubted when Alex said 'sorry' but in the spur of the moment, James and Sirius didn't notice. Just as they were about to apparate, the wands in their hands exploded and sprayed them in a variety of colors. Non-removable colors.

As James and Sirius trashed all over the place and sputtered to spit the paint out of their mouths, Harry and Alex threw the actual wands on the table before rushing up the stairs while bursting with laughter.

The prank war that ensued had never ended.

Alex was working on flying dung bombs when he decided to employ the help of his brother in this struggle. The pranks were no longer exhausting and there were times when even his mother laughed. He could swear that he saw his sister smile at one of their pranks but it's hard to tell with the books obscuring her face from view. He ran up the steps and was about to knock on the door when an epiphany hit him like a dung bomb to the face.

He had something to look forward to. Someone to look up to. Someone with whom he can share his joy and passions.

The knock on the door sounded like any other knock. But Alex knew different. It echoed of confidence. The self-assurance that someone would always be there at the other end, waiting for this knock.

* * *

Everybody in the Potter family knew that Lisa's love for knowledge rivaled that of Lily's. At any moment, she could be seen with a book in her hands, engrossed in the facts and oblivious to the outside world. Her thirst for knowledge had only increased with each book she read and it is no wonder that her room was painted a light brown with candle lights flickering in their glass prisons. Every corner of the room was filled with stacks of books, swaying with every breeze that glides through the window due to their precarious positions. The entire area was strewn with books all over the place, the papers drifting with the winds but ultimately unable to escape the room. Of course, there was a reckless use of charms by Lily to achieve this feat. While Lisa shared her love for knowledge and Potions with Lily, she did not share the clawing need for neatness.

But nobody knew the reason for the genesis of her love for books or Potions.

Lisa was born on 1st August, 1982. A day after her brother's birthday. It's no surprise that her parents considered her to be a sign to start a new life. They shifted from Godric's Hollow to the Potter Manor in the Forest of the Gallows, Edinburgh. They managed to leave their belongings at Godric's Hollow but failed to leave their sadness and misery. A different house, Same people.

They showered her with love while hiding their sadness from sight, masking their misery and wallowing in their grief behind the walls of work. Life was fine.

But as she grew up, she was able to peer over their masks, catch a glimpse of the pain they were experiencing and that scared her. Afraid that she would become the shell of a person if she loves somebody to that extent, she tried to conceal herself behind her own shell. That was the time she realized that while her father had his friends to share his pain with, who does her mother have?

So she strove to imitate her mother. She read books with diligence, basked in the warmth of the potions, breathed the fumes of the liquids and relished the embrace of knowledge. It was a good thing that she involuntarily liked to read, for she did not want to force herself into something she is not.

Books were amazing. They shared their stories with her and did not expect anything in return. She could lose herself in their world and escape the reality of life. The potions mesmerized her mind with the way the liquids flowed into each other, the ingredients dissolved without a complaint, the fumes glided in the air spreading their power all over the place, the colors interweaving to produce a new one, the strangest mixtures gave the strangest results. Beguiling and bewitching.

And within a few years, her shell was complete. The shell that no one could penetrate. For all his good qualities, Remus was not the one to openly show love. Or any other emotion for that matter. So, she finally achieved her goal of distancing herself from the emotions, showing them only in need.

One fine day, she was calmly stirring her potion, a burn healing paste, when her brother appeared out of nowhere and peeked a glance at her cauldron. "Is it done?"

She started, unable to fathom the thought of someone invading her privacy. "No. It takes another hour", she informed, while fixing her stare on the potion in the cauldron and not on her brother.

"Ah", he commented before disappearing from her sight.

She was confused but disregarded this visit to concentrate on pale yellow liquid she was trying to stir. He reappeared after an hour and repeated the same question. "Is it done?"

"It takes another five minutes to cool down", she notified before glancing at her potions book to read about another potion. He gave a nod before sitting down on the stool beside her. She tried her best to ignore him and it wasn't even hard because he was making no movement or sound. But after a few moments, her curiosity won over her reluctance and she asked the question pounding at her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a burn while heating some water for Alex and he told me that you were making a burn healing paste", Harry stated as he stared at the pale orange paste in the pewter cauldron.

"There's an another batch in the kitchen", she glared at Harry at the mention of Alex. "Middle cupboard. Top shelf."

"I could wait."

They reverted to their previous positions and ignored each other.

"How many types of potions did you make till now?" Harry asked after a few seconds.

"Ten", she answered curtly without glancing at him.

"Hmm. I have an instinctual dislike for potions. So, it could be a long time before I try one myself."

"Instinctual dislike?" She considered that for a moment, tossing it around in her mind to inspect whether the words could make sense after some time. They didn't.

"Yes, instinctual dislike. Being near the potion fumes creep me out. It's as though the liquid is trying to slither over me, spreading it's grease all over my body with different images of a greasy haired git floating in my mind, trying to distance me from the cauldron with a poisonous glare", Harry shuddered. He did not intend to relive those images but things happen. Unintentionally.

"Your description feels vivid and vague at the same time."

"You have no idea."

They halted their conversation for Lisa to lift the cauldron from the burner and place it on the tripod in front of them. She collected some of the paste in a jar before gesturing at him to show his hand.

He lifted the sleeve of his shirt to display the mild scratch on the forearm. The scratch was an inch in length with the breadth of a hair. In fact, it seemed as though it was healed days ago.

"That's not a burn", she commented acidly as she stared at the scratch on his arm.

"Hey! You are the healer in here. How would I know?"

Her glare could have made the zombies scurry to their graves. No one could blame Harry when he did not appear in her sight for the rest of the day.

He reappeared the next day when she was deeply engrossed in a book about the Roman history. He desperately tried to catch a glimpse of the title and eventually, she relented. _Ancient Legends of the Roman history_ _._

"I am named after an Emperor of Rome. Hadrian", Harry tried to start a conversation and she sighed as she closed the book while bookmarking it with her index finger. "And Remus is named after the brother of the founder of Rome."

"Romulus, I know."

"I felt that the way the Greeks ruled was more varied and influential than the imperial rule of Rome", Harry continued, motivated by her response. He read a few books about the Greek and Roman culture after his conversation with Remus and had he known that it could have helped him in this way, he would have scoured the library for more.

"But the culture of Rome prevailed even in the modern era and the Roman art is considered to be superior to the Greek art", she countered.

The conversation that he had begun continued for hours and he knew that he was successful in his endeavor when she removed her finger from the book and placed it to the side.

He did the same for the next few days. He did not waver at her constant threats and slowly Lisa got accustomed to another presence beside her. He still had a distinct aversion towards potions but he mentioned that he could manage for an hour now. And when he joined her for her home tuition, Remus's eyes went wide in shock and he stuttered for a while before reverting back to his usual self. She had no idea what gave Remus that scare as that was the most emotion she had ever seen on his face. But his fears were unfounded. Harry did not shift his gaze during the whole lecture and Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

She got used to their long talks, Harry's sudden disappearances from the potions room, the curiosity that could never be satiated, the eyes that never lose their shine and a mouth that could never be shut. He even managed to make her laugh at some of his and Alex's pranks. That was something she had never imagined.

She always used to feel that her family lacked the balance. The linchpin that completes the wheel. With her mother, Remus and Lisa on side and Sirius, James, and Alex on the other side. Evelyn was merely a child. But now, she could feel the stability returning to the wheels, the gears turning for a smooth ride and she could feel that this time, it's going to a pleasant one.

One afternoon, she was reading a book about the use of charms in flying brooms and she involuntarily turned to the side. "They say that you could...", she started when she couldn't find Harry beside her. Then she remembered. Harry went to St Mungo's for his weekly check up.

As she was about to shift her glance to the book in her hands, the realization hit her like a misfired spell. Someone had finally drilled their way into her shell. The shell in which she hid for all her life. But she didn't feel as vulnerable as she had imagined. There was no rush of fear in her nerves, her heart was not pounding in her chest, her thoughts weren't going haywire and there were no alarm bells ringing in her mind.

In fact, she felt at peace. There was no constant need to raise her shields at all time, to develop her defenses, sharpen her offense and be on a constant lookout for souls who would dare to appear at her gates.

And that afternoon, had anybody peered over her book to catch a glimpse of her face, they would have found her with a serene smile playing on her lips.

Life was fine but she had a feeling that it's going to be better from now.

 **Author's Note: This chapter and the next one are more of an interlude and less of a chapter.**

 **But finally, a chapter free of the relentless explanation, theory, flashbacks, and twists. More emotions and fewer explanations.**

 **If you could, Review your opinion about this change of pace and style.**

 **The next chapter will be posted by Sunday night. Until then...**


	7. The Silver Lining

**I have a strong suspicion that whenever I post on the 13th of any month, the next update would be extremely late. So, instead of taking any chances with fate, I posted this chapter on 15th.**

 **As I've mentioned in the previous chapter, this is the second interlude and the story will continue as usual from the next chapter. But consider this to be more a chapter because it contains some crucial info.**

 **Disclaimer: The wheels of time turn, unceasing and unrelenting, with endless cycles of day and night, dusk and dawn, order and chaos. In this world, where everything is lost in the ocean of time, leaving a mark in the history is the greatest achievement for a person. I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

 **November 11th, 1981: Eleven days after the fall of the Dark Lord.**

Down in the second lowest level of the Ministry, Level nine, commonly known as the Department of Mysteries, a lone figure was hunched over a stack of papers, her hand scribbling down the equations on a piece of parchment.

Fixated on the words in front of her, she did not notice a man making his way to her desk and she almost lost the balance of her chair when she jerked at the sound of the mild tone of the Head of the Department.

"Not that I mind when any of my researchers overwork, but this behavior borders on maniacal", Nicholas stated as he glanced at the parchments lying on the desk, but she knew that he was observing her movement. He grabbed one of the parchments and turned it over while stroking at his nonexistent beard. "Protection rituals. You are still hung over this thing?"

She sighed before stacking her notes to the side and ran a hand through her unkempt hair. She had no excuses this time. She was tired of listening to people saying that what happened to her son was not her fault. Their words fell on deaf ears and there was no way that she could ever accept that she was not guilty. Not when her own research was glaring at her with all the hate in the world, shouting to her that no matter what people may believe, she could never make peace with her own turmoil.

"After my first week at the Department, you gave me an advice. Do you remember it?" She whispered while holding her head in her hands.

Despite knowing that she couldn't see, Nicholas nodded, "Generally, we suggest our new recruits to feel the mystery with their hearts before unraveling it with their minds. But do not delve too deep, for magic can be as captivating as it could be cruel and sometimes, it's better to lose our minds than destroying our hearts."

But she paid no heed to the advice. She always felt that there was no use in studying magic when she couldn't wholeheartedly relish the joy it provides and within months, she was training new recruits. Her excitement was contagious and Nicholas couldn't argue with the results. Not that he wanted to. She reminded him of his wife Perenelle in her younger years and he could only hope that her nothing would dampen her spirits.

She levitated her notes into the drawer, locked it and strolled out of the room without glancing back. When she reached the door, she paused for a moment and remarked in a dull tone, "You were right. It's better to lose our minds that destroying our hearts."

She did not wait for an answer. But then, Nicholas had none.

For the next few weeks, everyone in the Department got to know a different side of her. The enthusiastic woman was replaced by an absent-minded one, a dull and calculating stare in place of her bright gaze and a sharp tone in place of her cheerful voice. She no longer drifted from topic to topic while teaching and her research were to the point, her untidy scrawl altered into neat calligraphic words, with no extra remarks for each observation. But everyone knew what she lacked the most. Emotion.

Nicholas, who remarked about everything he noticed, made no attempt to comment on this change in behavior. But his eyes held a distinct sadness. Another brilliant mind lost its way to the cruelty of the world.

Lily knew that she had changed. For better or the worse? She had no idea.

* * *

 **November 11th, 1990: Eleven days after Harry woke up.**

Lily made her way to the Hall after cleaning the dishes and collapsed on the sofa. It was her first holiday from work after three weeks and she had no intention of doing anything other than sleeping on the soft cushions of the sofa till afternoon. Her abrupt leave from work after Halloween was compensated by working for extra hours on the weekends and final year students were just applying for interns during the winter holidays. Saying that this month was hectic and exhausting was an understatement.

She was about to drop her head on the pillow when she heard soft footsteps near her. The footsteps stopped and she heard the distinct thump of someone sitting on a chair. She cracked open a bleary eye to catch a glimpse of the person in front of her and she instantly recognized the pale skinned, dark haired and green eyed boy. In his hand was her first-year charms book and it looked as though he was deeply engrossed in something.

Despite her protesting body, she sat up straight and Harry tilted his head to glance at her weary visage. She gave a small smile and patted the seat beside her. Harry gazed at her for a moment before rising up to sit beside her and he twisted in his seat to face her. "You look tired."

"But we never had any bonding time after you woke up", Lily mentioned with a sheepish smile.

"Bonding time?" Harry parroted with a frown while still holding the book in his hands.

"The time spent to talk or interact with other person or people, generally of the same family."

"Ah", Harry nodded and placed the book to the side. They stared each other for some time, seemingly searching for something to talk before Lily spoke up, "So what were you reading?"

"Remus assigned us some pages from this book to read before today's class". Lily started to think of something to avoid another silence before Harry continued, "But it doesn't feel right."

"Doesn't feel right?" Lily inquired with raised eyebrows.

Harry slowly nodded. "It feels as though the author was forcing himself to describe the wand motions and spells, as though these are something that pains him to write."

Her eyes widened at the statement and she was speechless for an instant before she voiced her thoughts. "That was...amazing and yes, accurate. How did you know?"

"Just a feeling. But why?"

Lily righted herself and emulated her lecture tone, for this couldn't be answered by a simple statement. "During the final stages of the Roman rule, people from different parts of Europe like France, Germany, and Spain were slowly migrating to Britain, hoping to salvage the wealth of the emperors. And the emperors paid no heed to the threats posed by these migrants but some of the kings employed these foreigners to do their dirty work, for the foreign magics were not known to most people. But as the danger posed by these migrants increased, the people of the court did their best to hide their family magics."

"During those times, there were no specific spells or wand motions and this type of magic was famously known around the world as Raw Magic. The type of magic which only required a medium like a wand or blood and nothing else. The strongest of the Raw Magicians were known as Elementals, for these people had a tremendous control over one of the elements of nature. In fact, Merlin was a lightning elemental. And to protect the secret of these Raw magics, the council came up with an idea". She ignored his sudden jolt at the word 'elemental' and continued.

"They obscured this knowledge behind a veil of wand motions and Latin spells, for Latin was their mother tongue. And they succeeded. With these incantations and wand motions, the true secret to wield the raw magic was concealed. Intent. But after the Fall of the Roman Empire due to the relentless attacks, these secrets were lost to the world and the notion of wand motions was made universal. But some of the oldest families had a scrap of this knowledge passed down the generations and these people had a distinct aversion to these spells. But, alas, the knowledge was lost and to perform magic one had to learn these spells. Only a master at a spell could cast it without any wand motions or an incantation."

"But it was rumored that at least once in a century a raw wizard is born", she finished with a sigh and leaned back on the cushion.

Harry, who was fascinated by this piece of history, sat still for a few seconds before proclaiming with bright eyes, "That was awesome."

Lily grinned. "It could be possible that the author, Carl Herman, was from a family of this heritage and he hated the way magic was used these days, that the knowledge of our ancients was lost to their own progeny. So do you have any doubts?"

Harry mirrored her grin and the ensued conversation lasted for hours, drifting from valuable stories, anecdotes to the most inane topics. By the time they finished, the sun was on its way to the horizon, with bright rays of light passing through the open window panes.

During this time Lily noticed three important things about her son. For someone who looked as thin as a twig, Harry had endless energy and enthusiasm. He was fascinated by every minor detail, captivated by every story and enthralled by every enigma. Like any other child, his face was an open book, displaying all his emotions in clear detail, without a care in the world.

The second thing she noticed was that even though he had no idea or insight into any of these things, his questions were remarkably well thought out. It's as if he reasoned his simple doubts with the limited information at his disposal.

The third thing was that she could never get enough of him. It was magical that while she was so exhausted a few hours before, that she couldn't even stand but now, she couldn't feel a tickle of tiredness seeping into her body. It was with great reluctance that she ended their conversation when the clock chimed at three o' clock.

She was about to rise from her seat when she noticed loaf of bread on the coffee table in front of them and then remembered that she thought of having a light breakfast before dozing off. So she cast a severing charm to cut it into two pieces and twisted in her seat to give the other half to Harry.

"Can I?" Harry's gaze fell on the wand in her hand and she cursed herself for forgetting that his childhood fascination with wands prevailed even after his coma. She couldn't say no to the large green eyes staring at her with such innocence, that she succumbed to their charm in seconds.

He rolled it in between his fingers and waved the wand with a flourish before pointing it to the other half of bread, "Diffindo".

There was a light creak but the bread was unscathed. "As I've said, you need to be a master at a spell to cast it without any wand motions."

Harry gave a shrug before returning the wand with a sheepish grin. There was a knock, likely Alex returning from Sirius's house, and Harry ran to the door, disregarding his failed attempt. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. Had it been Lisa, she would have brooded about her failure for the entire day.

There was a slight commotion in the Hallway before it subsided as the boys dashed up the stairs to indulge in their mischief in Alex's room.

She shook her head before grabbing the plate in her hands but it split into two pieces and within seconds, the coffee table was on the floor, each half falling onto either side.

She stood still, staring at the broken table with wide eyes and dropped down on the sofa. "Reparo", she muttered absentmindedly. Thoughts were whirling in her mind, processing the image in her eyes and her hands were shaking with excitement at the thought of the puzzle in front of her. A mystery waiting to be solved.

But she restrained herself from making any conclusions, for the only thing worse than a false conclusion was arriving at a probable answer from it. To solve a mystery, you need to gather every scrap of information, grasp at each straw and make no assumptions; for our mind was wired to provide us with an answer that we agree with, not with an answer that was logical. And she would take no chances with her son, not when everything surrounding him seemed both bizarre and normal at the same time.

* * *

The next day, she entered the Department with a bright smile on her face. Everybody was busy with their own work and the people who glanced her way disregarded it as a trick of the light. She went on to her work and when it was time to introduce the new recruits to the Department, she greeted them with a cheerful smile before continuing the orientation.

Slowly but surely, the people around her started to notice that something was definitely wrong and within moments, the entire Department was staring at her with wide eyes. When Nicholas met her gaze, he gave his signature grin and a thumbs up before disappearing into his office with a serene smile on his face.

Lily knew that she had changed. For better or worse? She was sure she could think of something.

* * *

From his childhood, if there was one thing James was surely good at, it was being happy. He was born when his parents had lost hope of a son or daughter and being the miracle child, he was pampered to an extent that by the time he reached his preteens, he grew up to be arrogant and proud. And money was not an issue when you father was a Potter and your mother was a Black.

His Hogwarts days were filled with fun and mischief and happiness was in abundance with the Marauders. In their fifth year, they decided to learn the Patronus charm after completing their animagus transformations, he was first in their little group to produce a corporeal Patronus and that too, a month before the others, to which Lily once remarked that no one could learn the Patronus charm as fast as him.

But he knew otherwise. Everybody had their problems, a deep sadness that dwells within them due to their circumstances, the things that they couldn't control.

Sirius had a family who gave more importance to their own traditions than to their son. He spent his entire holidays learning etiquette lessons, getting ridiculed and punished for trying to live his own life. He never knew until then that a parent could cast a Cruciatus on their own children. That Sirius could still smile and laugh as though nothing was wrong after this was a greater achievement than his Patronus.

Remus lived his entire childhood surrounded by fear, revulsion, and pity. A child paid for the mistakes of his father. To spend two years in fear, worrying that his own friends might hate him after knowing his secret was something James felt that he could never endure. Fear kills faster than Pain and for a werewolf, pain is nothing but a friend.

For someone who never had any siblings, James knew how agonizing it could be to have your own sibling hate you. For him, Sirius was no less than a brother. But Lily had a sister who hated her for something she couldn't control and it was likely that it would never change. To live with this realization was a greater burden than one could imagine.

But it's not as though James was not proud of his accomplishment. He considered his Patronus to be a dear friend and after the death of his father, he spent the nights wandering the Hogwarts grounds with his Patronus by his side, casting it again and, again every time it disappeared.

After the incident on Halloween, 1981, James buried himself in his work, spending extra hours every day to make sure that what happened to his family would never happen to another family. So, it was when he was dealing with the paperwork of an attack in Livingston, the head Auror, Alastor Moody, requested of him to meet in the office.

"In the event of the recent capture of the death eaters, the minister is thinking of visiting the Azkaban cells and the Auror department is assigned with the task of guarding him", Moody informed in a gruff tone. "And it doesn't help that the minister is afraid of his own shadow", he finished with a snarl.

"Had it not been for the funds, I would've cursed the bastard myself", he muttered to himself before shifting his gaze to the bewildered James.

"I've heard that your Patronus is something to be reckoned with. Is that true lad?"

"I think so?", James voiced in a light tone.

"I didn't hear you, boy!"Moody shouted while banging his fist on the desk. "Yes or no?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now prove to me that it is no mere boast."

They strolled down to the training room and James, who had his wand in his hand, moved to the center of the room. "Expecto Patronum".

But all that came out was a translucent white mist and it disappeared in an instant. James stared at his wand with eyes before shaking his head. He pointed the wand once again and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

And this time, there wasn't even a white mist. He tried again and then again, but the result was the same. He dropped his hand to the side, clutching his wand tightly in his hand and bowed his head while shaking it. "I'm Sorry. I can't".

"Do not worry, Potter. It happens to every one of us", Moody bellowed from the corner of the room, "Give it a week or two."

James did. In fact, he waited for months but he was never able to form a corporeal Patronus. After the Lisa was born, he dared to cast it again for the first in moths. But the mist coalesced before dissipating into thin vapors in mid-air.

His nights were filled with nightmares and each of them ended with him not being able to cast a Patronus charm before dementors sucked out the souls of his family. He woke up in the middle of night, his face glistening with sweat, breaths uneven and shaking hands. He took comfort from the warmth of his wife beside him before dozing off after a few hours from exhaustion. His boggart altered from the dead body of his son to a dementor sucking the soul of his son.

For the first time in his life, James lost his sense of happiness and now, he was afraid if he could ever find it.

* * *

 **November 14th, 1990**

James tiptoed through the corridor of the first floor and slowly ascended the stairs to reach the third floor while making sure that he made no noise whatsoever. He gently pushed the door of Harry's room and cringed when it made a low creaking noise.

Harry, who was lying on his bed, jumped onto the floor. "Is mom asleep?"

James shushed Harry with his index finger on his lips before whispering, "quietly".

Harry gave a fervent nod before following his father out of the room. They made their way to the broom cupboard and James took out two cleansweep sevens before dusting them off. Throwing caution to the air, they rushed out of the house and ran to the middle of the grounds before breathing heavily with their hands on their knees.

"Mission accomplished", James uttered while taking rapid breaths and raised his hand for a high five.

Harry stared at the hand and then to his face before repeating the movement. "What?"

James' face palmed with the other hand. "You slap your palm onto mine. It means that we succeeded in whatever we were doing."

Harry shrugged before clapping the raised hand. "Like this?"

"Hmm", James nodded. "But we have more important things at hand. Today is your first flying lesson!" He pumped his fist into the air, "Wait, technically it won't be your first...but whatever."

James dropped his broom to the ground."So, keep this broom beside you on the ground and say, 'Up!'"

Harry frowned. "Why can't I just hold it in my hand?"

"You need to learn to control your broom before you can ride it and this is the easiest way to determine whether you control your broom or your broom controls you. So, command, 'Up!'"

"Up". The broom flew to his hand at once and James patted him on his back.

"Now place this between your legs and hold it tightly before slowly slowly lowering yourself onto...", before he could finish it, Harry zoomed into the air with a shout, "or you could do it this way"

He flew to the air and hovered beside Harry. "You are a quick learner."

"I know", Harry gave a cheeky smile.

"Looks like you need a lesson on humility too", James sped up and accelerated downwards, "Follow me".

* * *

And Harry did. They tried to play a game of tag for a few minutes before the exhilaration from flying kicked in and Harry rushed into the air on his own.

The cold winds of November were slapping against his face, biting at his skin but the rush of adventure was more dominant than his flushing skin and he spiraled downwards as though to crash onto the ground before pulling up with all his might. The broom rattled in his hand due to the extreme pressure he put on it but it steadied as he flew upwards and blisters were forming on his bare palms as he tried to steer the broom against the howling winds. For the first time, he felt as though his mind was completely clear. No memories, no instincts clashing against his own and no sense of doubt.

Ignoring the icy hue forming on his arms and face, he sped upwards. Adrenaline was flowing through his through his veins, rushing with more vigor as he accelerated and he could hear his heart thudding against his chest. The entire expanse of the forest looked like a green cover spread across the earth and he could see the dimly lit lights through the window of his room. The evening sun looked divine from that height, no longer obscured by the white clouds, covered in an orange hue as it melted down from the sky but all of it was a blur as dashed through the sky. He felt that he could cherish this sense of power, this control over his world, the feeling that as long as he stayed in the air, nothing could go wrong.

He could hear his father shouting behind him but his surroundings slowly vanished from his sides and the gloomy chill of the evening sky was gradually replaced by the low warmth of the morning air. He could feel the players zooming around him and someone shouting orders at him to start looking for a snitch. The crowd around the stadium went bonkers each time a ball flew through one of the hoops and he could hear a player clad in green beside him cursing someone called Weasley twins. He could feel himself rushing to the corner of the stadium when he saw a glitter of gold and he was about to extend his arms to close his fingers around the fluttering wings of the golden ball when he heard someone shout, "Harry!"

And as fast as it came, it vanished and suddenly, he was free falling through the air, his broom falling with him but at a low speed as the winds pushed it around in the air. The gap between his hand and the broom slowly but surely increased and then he realized that it would be insanely bad if this continued. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his dad rushing to him but he knew it would be too late.

Ignoring the fear coursing through his nerves, he concentrated on the broom and willed it to come to his hand but he could feel its reluctance. He tightened his muscles in his right arm and pulled back as though clawing at an invisible enemy before commanding in his mind for the broom to come to him.

The broom shot to his palm and smacked it, easily forming a bruise but he clutched it in his hand tightly and held it below him. It helped that he was at a considerable height and all of this happened in an instant, so before he could he could become a blotch on the ground, he pulled the broom with all his might. The cleansweep seven, being an old broom, tried it hardest to obey his commands but ultimately all he succeeded was at slowing down his momentum before the broom broke and he grazed the ground for a few seconds before landing with an audible thump.

He made no movement, fearing that he might hear a resounding crack or see an unsightly form but he heard light footsteps before his dad knelt down beside him and lifted him by his shoulders.

He bowed down his head, his eyes downcast, expecting an angry set of eyes staring at him but before he knew it, he was enveloped in a hug. "Never and I say, NEVER, scare me like that. Had I not placed the cushioning charm on time or missed my mark, I cannot imagine what could have happened."

James could feel Harry nod against his robe. He was sure that Harry could hear the pounding of his heart but he did not loosen his embrace. They stayed like that for a few moments before James leaned back. "What happened up there? You were fine and then abruptly, you slid from your broom as though falling unconscious."

"I don't know. By the time I opened my eyes, I was falling."

James nodded. 'Is this one of those lapses the healer talked about?' he presumed. "How did you summon the broom to your hands? That was extraordinary. In fact, that was what saved you from the crash."

"Just like you told me to. I commanded it to come to my hands."

"Huh", James stated eloquently. _'_ He makes everything look so easy', James thought as he smiled.

He glanced at the broken pieces of the broom and suppressed a shudder. He truly could not imagine what would have happened if he did not place the cushioning charm. He walked over to the broken shards and vanished them before Lily could find them. She would skin him alive if she got to know about this.

Before he could mention it, Harry spoke in a soft tone, "Let's not mention this to mum?"

James couldn't nod faster.

* * *

James was perambulating through the Auror office when the secretary of the Minister, Dolores Umbridge walked in. He swiftly turned away before he met her gaze and tried to rush into his office when he heard her sickly sweet voice. "Mr. Potter, if you will."

He cringed before plastering a fake smile on his face and twisted in his place, "Yes, Dolores?" He tried his hardest to keep his gaze above her head, for he knew he would snap if he saw her pink cardigan. He and Sirius burned that thing down on every chance they got but somehow she always found a new one the next day.

"The Minister is planning for his yearly visit to Azkaban and he needs utmost protection", She informed with a thin-lipped smile. 'Of course, he does', James wanted to comment. Fudge couldn't cast a spell to save his life. "He requested of the three subheads to escort him on his visit."

"Three? That's all of them. There wouldn't be any left to manage the work here at the office", James protested but it fell on deaf ears.

"Nonsense. The work here could wait for one day. The protection for the minister is the priority in here", She claimed and dashed out of the chamber.

James clenched his fists. "That dumb bitch."

There was no way that he would step a foot in that hellhole, for the one time he tried, he was left with nightmares for weeks. And now, he had to have another chat with Moody for a leave.

After completing his work that night, he apparated to the forest around the Potter Manor instead of apparating to the door as he usually did. Holding his wand in his hand, he took a few deep breaths. It wouldn't do to back out now, for if he retreated, he was sure that he could never build up the courage to try it again.

He clasped his other hand around his wand arm to abate the shaking and imagined the quidditch match they played the week before. His entire family at one place, safe and happy. Harry pretending to cry to play, Alex laughing when Lily apologized to Harry, Lisa shouting in terror when they tried a dangerous maneuver, the cheering from his wife and daughter as they played, the laughs, the love. He could feel the emotion bubbling in his chest and the tremors in his hand ceased.

"Expecto Patronum!" He closed his eyes as he shouted the spell.

The sight that greeted him was something he would remember until his dying breath.

A giant stag as tall as him illuminated the dark expanse around him, the translucent mist around it glided through the air like smoke and its hooves hovered in the air, gently grazing the grass.

And as it stared at him, the world felt right for the first time in years. _Happiness could be found in the strangest of places, but sometimes, you just need to look at where you lost it._

* * *

Sirius hated the feeling of having a burden on his shoulders. It restricted his freedom and for him, freedom was something that's larger than life. His family never realized that. Along with duty came the fear of failing, the uncertainty of accomplishment, a worry that never faded.

Being the eldest child in the head family of the Blacks, duty was something that stayed with you as a birthright and, for his entire childhood, he hated his brother for not being born first. As he grew up, he realized that his hate was childish but that was when his brother started to look up to him. So he tried his hardest to maintain the distance between him and his brother, for he couldn't bear the weight of living up to someone's expectations. It certainly helped that their characters were polar opposites and it was inevitable that they fell apart.

He had the record of not doing a single assignment in his entire sixth year. After McGonagall warned him that he wouldn't pass that year if he continued this behavior, Remus took it upon him to do all his assignments for him. They translated Remus's assignments into a different language before reverting it back to English and the entire sentence formation changed with it. The teachers never suspected a thing.

The Auror force was infamous for being the strictest department in the entire ministry and it surely lived up to its name. While training for the first few months, they couldn't even catch a break. And once the job started, there was no time to enjoy with his friends when their duty timings clashed. It was everything he abhorred. But after a few months, he found a way. He swapped his duties with another Auror who was free and well, the head Auror only counted the attendance. it was a win-win if he ever saw one. Within weeks, it became a regular tradition in the department to swap duties with each other.

And when his friends requested of him to be the secret keeper, somehow, he readily agreed, even after comprehending the burden he would've on his shoulders. He gave more importance to their trust than to his own fears. But as the days passed and the attacks on the other families increased, he slowly realized the true weight he had to bear. The lives of his friends and their family.

His paranoia reached new levels. Every member of the family appeared like an enemy and when his brother tried to contact him for the first time in years, he shunned him. That his brother was a death eater never hit him as hard as that time. His dreams turned to nightmares. The long peaceful walks around his house turned into a search for intruders with him peering over his shoulder at every tweak and glitter. The Grimmauld place never seemed as threatening and dangerous with shadows creeping over the walls and crawling to him before smothering him in darkness and stealing all his secrets. He shifted to a remote apartment in London and it was peaceful for some time.

And when then the news of the death of his brother reached him, he snapped. That was the final straw. His mistakes from the past came to haunt him every day, this time, the guilt weighing him down for ignoring his brother. For leaving him alone in a world full of sharks. For turning his back on him.

Was he the reason they murdered his brother? With this simple thought, a barrage of scenarios flashed through his mind, each of them more disarming than the last. Doubt crept into his mind, flooding his brain with apprehension and fear rushed through his nerves. 'I cannot bear this burden.'

He asked, no, begged his friends to choose a new secret keeper and that was the biggest mistake he made in his entire life.

Unlike others, the Sirius who emerged on the other side after Halloween was no different from the past. He did not live by the rules, except one.

 _To never_ _run away from his burdens._

* * *

"You know the reason why you can no longer successfully prank us?" Sirius sneaked behind his oblivious godson.

"Yikes,you" Harry shrieked before falling face first on the ground. He cursed for a moment before getting back on his feet. "Because you cheat using magic?"

"Of course, I don't" Sirius disagreed before he glanced at the narrow-eyed stare from Harry. "Well, sometimes. But most of the times I play fair."

"Like how you apparated behind me?"

"Who said I apparated?" Sirius rebutted. "Just because you didn't notice doesn't mean that I cheated."

"Whatever" Harry muttered before concentrating on the parchment in his hand.

"That is what you are going to learn in our today's lesson. Subtlety."

"I'm busy."

"Do you know why we never fail at what we do? Even we were like you during our childhood, missing our goals by a mile, but as we gained experience, we learned that the most important ingredient for a successful prank was not your idea or the implementation."

"Go on", Harry conceded before taking out his notebook and Sirius grinned.

"There is no need for notes, my curious godson. This is something you need to grasp with that sharp mind of yours."

"As you get good at what you do, the people around you start observing your every movement, anticipating your each move. We learned after a lot of failures that as you improve, even your victim does. You cannot stay at the same level and expect success."

Sirius raised his hand and placed it on Harry's shoulder. "But after some time, there would be no room for massive growth. The society bounds you within its borders, confining your potential by placing rules. And believe me, those rules are needed."

Sirius tone took a softer hue. "Sometimes as you indulge in your vices, you pay no heed to the feelings of others and the potential damage it could cause. Every action has far-reaching consequences and we only discovered this truth after stepping outside the boundaries."

"But fear not", Sirius bellowed and Harry jolted in his place, "a true prankster can always find a way and when we did, it came as the most unexpected. Subtlety."

"Subtlety?" Harry remained unconvinced.

"Yes, my unbelieving godson, Subtlety. Even though you cannot notice it, the world around you changes with every second. But even us wizards ignore this and go on with our lives, ignoring the vast potential that is behind this concept."

"The world around you is subtle. And as you mold your mind to notice this, you wonder how you remained oblivious to it for all your life. Be clever, indirect and most important of all, be different. No one should be able to anticipate your next move. Even when all the eyes stare at you, observing your every action, analyzing your every move, you should be able to startle them."

Sirius jumped to this feet, "But beware, for it would be a grueling task but be relentless and do not lose hope, for I'm sure you could succeed in this endeavor."

And then he vanished with a pop.

"This time, I'm sure it's apparition", Harry grumbled.

* * *

That evening Harry didn't reach home and when Sirius floo'ed to the Potter Manor, the tension was so thick that he was sure he would suffocate in seconds. "What happened?"

"Harry is missing from the afternoon. He disappeared after lunch and we didn't see him after that", Alex informed in a wavering tone.

"What? I just spoke to him an hour ago" Sirius notified and before he could finish Lily was before him.

"When? Where? How could you be so careless? I knew you had something to with it", Lily hollered as she poked at his chest with her finger.

"Woah, Woah. Back down, you crazy lady. Don't you bring me into this. He was calmly playing on the ground when I saw him and I'm sure he would be sleeping under some tree." And with that, he sauntered onto the ground.

He scrutinized the entire area but Harry was nowhere to be found. After giving up on his futile effort, he took out his wand. "Did you try 'Homenum revelio?"

"What do you think?" Lily retorted with her hands crossed.

Sirius shook his head before casting the human presence revealing spell. But he found no red marker in the entire expanse. He was about to cancel the charm when he swiveled around and stared up at the sky. Had anybody asked him why he thought of doing it, he would have explained that it was mere instinct.

There on the roof of the manor, a red marker was blinking on a figure that was leaned onto the wall of the chimney. 'That's anything but subtle', he smirked. He apparated to the roof and found Harry in a fetal position, sleeping.

He lifted Harry in a bridal pose before disapparating to the ground. The pop of the apparition disturbed Harry from his peaceful sleep and he gradually opened his eyes to stare at the worried visages of his family.

Harry frowned before his mind made sense of the things he was seeing and he shuddered. "There was this scary bird with large eyes which attacked me while I was reading my book. I shooed it away but it kept coming back."

James smacked his palm to his forehead. "Is there any chance that this is the bird you are talking about?" he inquired while gesturing his hand to a brown owl resting on top of a tree branch while nibbling at its feather.

Harry swiftly hid behind Sirius's legs and gave a quick nod while peeking from behind the Sirius's robe. Sirius laughed. They should have known better than to hide the family owl from Harry.

Sirius gestured for the owl and it flew from its place to land on Sirius's outstretched hand. He knelt down on the ground and hovered his arm in front of Harry. Harry tentatively brought his hand to the owl and poked lightly on its feather with his index finger before drawing it back in a flash. The owl ruffled its feathers but remained still. Harry made another brave attempt and placed his hand beside its head and the owl nibbled at his fingers.

"It's so cute!" Harry giggled and the entire family slowly made their way to the manor.

"How did you reach the roof?" Lisa asked the single question running through their minds.

"I don't know. One minute I was running away from it and the next second, I was on the roof."

"You were scared of an owl", Alex guffawed, "That's so lame."

"Hey, it bought its entire army from the sky!" Harry retorted while gesturing towards the sky.

All of them simultaneously shifted their gaze to the sky but all they found a single dark blot in the entire orange expanse of sky.

"Huh", Alex shrugged. "Even then it's lame", he chortled and the entire family joined him.

"Hey!"

* * *

Sirius was calmly sipping coffee at the cafeteria in the ministry atrium when an owl dropped a letter in front of him before flying away. The emblem was that of the Auror department and he frowned. He opened the letter with a spoon and as he was about to look inside the envelope, the letter exploded, covering him in chilli pepper.

And with it, a parchment fell on his lap. He sneezed repeatedly and dusted the powder on his face before grabbing the parchment.

 _Padfoot,_

 _Heard from mum that dogs hate the smell of pepper and Lisa was all too happy to obtain it from the kitchen. Found the stamp in dad's room. I have no idea what it is used for but it seemed important. Hope you liked it._

 _The world around you is subtle. And as you mold your mind to notice this, you wonder how you remained oblivious to it for all your life._

 _Even though you might feel that nothing had changed, the world around you keeps changing and when you notice it, you would be astonished, for it would be far different from the world you knew._

 _Your cheeky godson._

Sirius cackled, ignoring the stares from the people in the atrium and the distinct irritation on his skin or the running of his nose. Just when he was about to rise from his seat, he heard someone call his name.

Sirius turned around to see his colleague Micheal panting with his hands on his knees. "Wait a minute."

Sirius waited, reading the letter once again while chuckling. "I normally wouldn't ask you of this but you were the only one available."

Sirius gave an absent-minded nod and Michael continued. "I planned on proposing to my girlfriend this Saturday night after taking her to France but the Department posted new timings and now I am stuck with paperwork at the office. Could you swap with me? Please, Buddy. I would fill in for you for the entire next week. I mean it, man."

"Sure", Sirius waved nonchalantly and started to walk.

"Really?" Micheal stared at him with raised eyebrows.

Sirius frowned. "Of course, Buddy."

"S-sure, Thanks", Micheal gave a fleeting glance before hurrying to the elevators. And as the doors of the elevators closed, Sirius realized what had happened and he dropped the letter to the floor.

He went against his one single rule.

But the world didn't seem any different. There was no thunder rumbling in the background or the earth opening up to swallow him whole. He seemed as normal as anyone who was a victim of a prank and no one looked at him twice. In this sea of people, he was just another random guy.

For the first time in years, he felt the weight disappear from his shoulders. The world didn't feel so heavy. He never knew that such relief could be obtained from breaking a single rule. The only rule around which your life revolves.

Freedom could be as dangerous as it could be disarming. But the difference was palpable.

The world around you changes with each fleeting moment. Subtle but startling. And by the time you notice it, you would be left wondering what had happened.

* * *

Remus could always be found with a composed face. Tranquil and collected. His patience was astounding and his smile, disarming. People generally thought that he never hated anything. But he knew the truth.

He hated the wolf inside him with such intensity that he had no hate left to hate anything else.

If there was something he could never accept as a part of him, it would be the wild beast slumbering inside him, waiting for the right moment to dig its claws into his mind. The wolf strove for acceptance and as long at doesn't obtain it, it battered at his mind, trying to crush his will without mercy. On the outside, it clawed itself to make him suffer the pain after the full moon.

But for a werewolf, the pain was nothing but a dear friend.

For pain was not what he feared. The gashes on his body were an evident proof that he was a werewolf. The proof that he was what he hated. And the rays of the sun never touched his body for years.

The battle inside his mind was an ever waging one, with only one side facing the causalities but he never lost hope. This was one war he would win at any cost.

After finding friends who were accepting of his furry problem, the gashes slowly faded to the background and the wolf in him realized that it would never acquire the acceptance it yearned for. So it waited, for years, drifting into the background, collecting its strength for the inevitable war in the future.

And when his friends were battling the death eaters, he was fighting an invisible enemy. An enemy who knew all his strengths and every weakness. He disappeared for days and no longer attended the order meetings or joined them to fight during the Death eater raids. For he was sure, if even a single spell hit him, he would not survive the encounter. Blood freely dripped from the puncture wounds after every full moon, the pain muddling up his senses but he the pain was temporary. But if he succumbed to its will, the emotional torment would be unbearable.

And when his only friends stared at him with suspicion in their eyes, their wariness tangible, he knew that the wolf had won this war. And for the first time, he gave up on his battle.

* * *

Remus walked through the corridor with a limp while holding at his waist. It was a rough full moon. He knocked on the door and winced when a torrent of pain shot through his arm.

Lisa opened the door with a bright smile but it dimmed after glancing at her teacher. "What happened?"

"My furry pet was a bit furious. So let's skip the today's lesson. Read the next chapter from the assigned book."

Lisa gave a quick nod before strolling into her room while glancing back with each step. Remus plastered what he hoped to be a reassuring smile on his smile and not a painful grimace. He knew he succeeded when Lisa returned the smile before slumping down on her bed.

He slowly made his way downstairs and settled down the sofa. He breathed a sigh of relief before leaning back onto the cushion and closed his eyes. He didn't know when he fell asleep and by the time he woke up, the entire Potter family arrived downstairs.

He gave a quick thumbs up to James, who was sitting at the dining table, to reassure him and shifted his stare to the boy sitting opposite to James.

Remus liked to watch his students work but Harry was the most interesting of them. Harry read his books with a stare that he only saw on one other person. Albus Dumbledore.

Both of them scanned the book in a way that appeared as though they were gliding through the words, reading in between the lines, analyzing every sentence. The first time he observed Dumbledore, he dubbed it as the 'All seeing gaze'. He always felt that it only suited old people who had seen too much in their life span.

But even he had to admit, that somehow, it perfectly framed the pale visage of Harry.

Before he could ponder upon this for some more time, Harry stood from his place and squatted beside Alex. They discussed something for a few minutes before he appeared beside Lily. And he drifted from person to person before collapsing back on his chair.

This was another thing. Harry had an acute sense of awareness that belied his age. He perceived every movement in the surroundings and somehow knew when someone needed him.

As though realizing that someone was staring at him, Harry looked around before their eyes met and Harry made a throat-slashing gesture. 'Looks like he still did not forgive me for conspiring against him with James and Sirius.'

Harry walked over to the sofa and flopped beside him. "For someone who seemed as innocent as an owl, you did have a mean streak in your school."

"I assume that James was telling our pranks as bedtime stories."

"You would be right."

"Merlin, he needs to stop that."

"I know right", Harry agreed.

"So why this abrupt change in behavior after your graduation?" Harry inquired. \

Remus shifted his gaze to the ceiling. "I always knew that real life would be infinitely tough than being in school but I never knew that the world would be so unfair. It's enough to suppress your dreams and any excitement that comes with it."

"I was lucky", Remus continued after Harry spoke nothing, "that my friends were so accepting of someone like me."

"Someone like you? After hearing all those stories about the exploits of the Marauders, I never figured them to be Altruists. You are a good man, uncle Remus and if you believe otherwise, I'm sure we could deal with it during one of our classroom sessions."

Remus chuckled before he grimaved at the pain and the reality crashed into his happiness. "But this world doesn't need a good man, Harry."

"We know that something is wrong with the world when the good people rest and the cowards rule."

"Which book?" Remus inquired with a jovial smile. "I never heard of it."

"it's one of my own", Harry gave a cheeky smile before falling back onto the sofa and dozing off.

* * *

On the next full moon, Remus stood bare before the mirror. The wounds were slowly healing, the gashes fading back into his light pink skin and he could even perceive hints of pale white skin in the midst. He could feel the wolf trying to subjugate his will and this time he let it win.

The transformation was a lot less painful and he could feel the power coursing through his veins. This was the judgment gate. Whether to accept this power, to give up on his free will and succumb to the will of the wolf or fight against it with all his might.

But this time, he accepted it and his muscles bulged to twice heir size, the nerves coming to the front before gray fur spread over his entire body. The battering ram in his brain returned with full force but instead of clashing against it, he disregarded it.

"I accept you", Remus whispered before dropping down on the floor. Just before he lost consciousness, he gazed at the full moon for the first time in his wolf form and the only thing that came to his mind was, "Beautiful".

The wolves were power hungry creatures and they respected power more than anything else. And Remus showed it in spades for nearly thirty years. That night both the wolf and him slept peacefully.

There are some battles you cannot win but it doesn't mean that you lose. The world is not made of winners and losers. The majority of the people are like him. The Survivors.

* * *

And when the Potter family, along with Sirius and Remus, met at the Manor for the conventional Saturday dinner as per tradition, a realization hit them as they glanced at each other.

The people at this table were the same. Yet at the same time, they were completely different.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: This is the longest chapter yet.**

 **I know that the pace is slow but stay patient because the pace accelerates with each chapter and the next chapter is an important and interesting one. Until then….**


	8. Fleeting Memories

**My next few updates might be a bit late but no update would take longer than three weeks. This is a short term issue.**

 **Disclaimer: In this world where Justice could be conquered by Violence, the truth could only be spread through words. Actions speak louder than words but, this is a power that words, and words only possess. Freedom is ever present, smothering you from all sides, waiting to be exploited. I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

As he woke up to the voice of his younger sister, Evelyn, who was trying her best to utilize all her skills in singing beside his ear, a stray thought hit his slumbering mind. This month was too peaceful. Sure, the first month was about as adventurous as it could get, but the second month after his arrival to his home was normal, to say the least.

No more skydiving from brooms, no repercussions from failed pranks, no nasty burns from botched potion making attempts and definitely, no inadvertent apparitions.

The homely atmosphere of the December was disconcerting at best and terrifying at worst. His parents laughed it off saying that he was just not used to all this and that it's only time before he would get accustomed to this.

That was not comforting.

He felt at home the moment he stepped into this manor. Getting accustomed was a matter of the past.

He tried to rely upon his instincts, the only thing upon which he could place his irrefutable trust. But they were going haywire, muddled up with his recent memories and constantly clashing with his conscious. And the nagging feeling at the back of his mind was getting more intense with each passing moment.

Ceasing his inner musings, he silenced Evelyn by placing a hand on her mouth and rubbed at his ear with the other hand. Considering the ringing in his ear, her practice of shouting her lungs out every day was not wasted.

"Ouch", he yelled before staring at the finger she bit. Tiny, red, teeth marks stared back at him. 'From where did she get this vicious streak?'

He poked at her forehead with his finger before placing her on his shoulder and walking out of his room. He settled her on the marble floor of the corridor, shut the door and steadily ignored the banging of her tiny fists on the wooden door.

By the time he reappeared in the corridor after taking his bath, she was long gone, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had no intention of dealing with a whiny Evelyn on a Sunday morning.

He sauntered to the stairs, fingers crossed behind his head while whistling to a catchy tune he heard the other day. He could hear Lisa shouting from the Hallway and his mom trying her hardest to understand what Lisa was saying with all the commotion in the Hall.

He chuckled while shaking his head. Typical Sunday morning.

"Mom, I'm leaving. I'm meeting with Daphne and Astoria at the Greengrass Manor", Lisa hollered from the Hallway.

"Who?" Lily shouted over the voice of Sirius, who was complaining to James about the new restrictions placed by the ministry on the use of brooms to fetch coffee from the Atrium. James looked like he was moments away from splashing the coffee he held in his hands on Sirius's face.

"Daphne, Mom. Daphne Greengrass."

Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Harry, who was about to step on the stairs, fell down with a loud thud and rolled down the stairs. By the time he reached the floor, his skull felt like it was cracked open with a hammer and he was sure that he broke his left hand.

The pain was blinding and he could hear a rush of footsteps around him but the pain in his body was nothing compared to the vengeful ramming in his head. The memories leaking were crude; unrefined and unrestrained. Unlike the previous times, he could make no sense of the steady and excessive inflow of the images, each one more perplexing than the last.

But every image had one thing in common. A light skinned, blond haired girl, with eyes a pale blue; like that of a glacier.

 _A lake with water as black as the night sky above them. A huge room with dark green curtains over the windows and carvings of snakes on the walls. A gloomy corridor with a single door at the end. A giant statue of a man with a small pond in front of it. A huge tree with no leaves, its branches swinging wildly around them. A goblet with flickering blue flames in it. A graveyard with white, translucent mist rolling around in waves. A soft, hesitant kiss on his lips, a hand stroking at a huge cut on his forearm. An angry slap on his cheek with tears rolling down her face..._

With each flashing image, the pain escalated and a raw emotion was tugging at his heart, yearning for the fleeting memories to stay. For the images to resurface. A wave of emotions crashed onto him with each passing memory. Anger. Happiness. Desperation. Sadness. Love.

He pulled at his hair, trying desperately to abate the blinding pain, with tears leaking from the edges of his eyes and he could feel the world slipping away, the light fading as he lost his consciousness and the desperate shouts around him were replaced by the peaceful sounds of the waves rippling along the water of the lake as the wind blew, the chirps of the birds, hoots of the owls and the leaves rustling as they drifted in the air.

* * *

 _Harry sat at the base of the beech tree situated on the bank of the Black lake, with his eyes closed, one hand behind his head as he rested his head on the bark while twirling his wand with the other hand. His thick fringes were swinging in front of his face, obscuring his forehead from sight. Not that the blood red hair was any less subtle._

 _The grounds were empty as the students were still in their classes and his only companions were the owls that flew over his head once in a while and the birds resting on the branches of the tree, chirping at frequent intervals while minding their own business. The occasional sounds of the forbidden forest were merely ignored but they were a constant reminder of the place he was at._

 _This was as peaceful as it could get and skipping the DADA class was easily justified. But before he could finish the thought, he heard light footsteps and the leaves rustled as they were stepped upon, crushed by the weight of the foot.  
_

 _He sighed. Isolation was not a dream easily achieved. Footsteps were too light to be that of a boy. But the steps were not hurried or irregular and the person was trying their hardest to make no sound. Like that of a person who was trained to walk with grace; silent but quick. Pureblood. Every first year had classes at the moment and no would notice that he was missing. Except for those who were in his class. Slytherin or Gryffindor. He knew of no pure blooded Gryffindor girl who would approach him._

 _So, A Pureblood Slytherin girl._

" _Don't you think that it's a bit extreme to skip a class just to talk to me?"_

 _The footsteps halted. He waited for a moment for a reply and then he heard a light whisper carried by the wind. A sound so soft that had the breeze been heavy, he wouldn't have heard it. "Who said that I came here for you?"_

 _Ah. Who would've guessed? Daphne Greengrass. "My apologies, Miss Greengrass. I was merely acting upon my experience."_

 _He stood up from his place before turning around to face the blond haired girl, his fingers crossed behind his head and a bored look on his face. Her face was a blank mask, leaking no feeling or showing any emotion, resembling a carved sculpture, but her hands were crossed across her chest. 'Maybe an instinctual habit or a nervous tic that she couldn't control?' This should be interesting._

 _He smirked. Purebloods. They were so much fun to deal with, for the toughest nuts provide the most entertainment._

 _If she was unnerved by the sudden smirk on his face, she did not show it. He leaned on the tree, the wand held loosely in his hand and stared ahead. The silence was deafening, both of them waiting for the other to crack while scrutinizing each other, evaluating the moves to play. He was tired of this playing this game._

" _But I never figured you to be the type to skip a class for no reason", he commented and their eyes met. Pale blue clashing with the emerald green._

" _I'm sure that I am not missing anything worthwhile", she countered and he nodded. Slow and steady steps. This conversation could take a while. Each of them trying not to reveal anything. Exhausting but interesting._

" _And you figured that you could pass the time by staring at the lake?"_

" _We all have our own vices."_

 _He remained silent. If she expected something from him, she had to put an effort. She would achieve nothing from staring him to death._

" _I've heard that you are the best in DADA in our entire year. For someone who doesn't even attend the class, you do know a lot", she informed with a glance and he put a halt to his thoughts._

' _Trying to assess my skills? No, she could find that information from asking around. This definitely had a hidden intention.'_

" _A good offense is the best defense."_

 _Her eyes widened a little at that but it was gone so fast that it could merely be a trick of the light. He openly baited her with the statement. No objection and a clear hint. If this didn't produce a reaction then he had to resort to methods other than thinly veiled comments. But he would wait for now._

" _You claim that you didn't even hear of magic before coming to Hogwarts. And now, I should believe that you are better than the Purebloods who were trained before coming to school?" She scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "For some reason, I actually find that hard to believe."_

 _This time, it was his turn to be surprised. He raised his eyebrows before flashing a quick smile. Not many people actually knew that information or believe it after they heard it. The Boy who lived not knowing that magic exists? That itself could be a topic for the front page of the Daily Prophet. The only people who know about this were Blaise and Hermione. So, it's likely that Hermione spread it around, enlightening any person who would believe it. Probably to proclaim that Purebloods were not superior to other students. Sometimes her obsession to prove herself could be tiring._

 _But why the challenge? Everybody knew that he wouldn't raise to taunts or insults. Draco Malfoy was a living proof of it. But still, she tried. For no reason? Definitely not. Normally, he would answer to an insult with a smile before minding his business, leaving the other person fuming. But something with the way she blatantly goaded him, the challenge flashing in her pale blue irises, staring at him with such intensity and standing in front of him in a proud stance, a regal look on her face, made him more curious than he felt in a long time and he took the bait dangling in front of him before pulling at it by the hook._

 _He pointed his wand to the side, away from the tree and whispered in a soft tone. **"Murus Ignis."**_

 _In an instant, they were surrounded by a wall of flames, twice as tall as them, flickering dangerously in the wind. The air was filled with a burning smell as the fire grazed at the dry leaves and twigs, struggling to advance but he confined it to its place with a huge effort._

 _She took a step back, eyes wide and fear apparent on her face. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. The heat was so intense that he could feel it from his place and frankly, he was surprised by the ferocity of the flames. It was a spell in progress but this was more than what he hoped for. He canceled the spell and the stray flames were put off by the water from the lake. The smoke glided through the air before getting swept away by the light breeze and the within moments, there was no proof left that he cast a spell except the charred remains of the leaves and grass._

 _He breathed heavily, sweat forming on his face and his hand still shaking from the after effects of the effort he used. But he chuckled before running a hand through his hair. That was exhilarating. He lifted his head to glance at the girl in front of him and found her glaring at him, her muscles tense, hands turned into fists by her sides, with sweat dripping down her perfectly carved face. A few strands of her styled hair was stuck to her face due to the sweat, but even with all the imperfections, she looked no less pretty than a spoiled princess._

 _A smirk made its way onto his face at her disheveled appearance and her eyes narrowed. "That was..."_

" _Awesome?"_

" _the most stupid thing I've ever seen", she finished with a shake of her head. He blinked and a frown made its way onto his face._

" _I knew you were crazy but this was bordering on insanity. Merlin, how could you be so reckless? You were surrounded by a forest and the first thing that comes to your mind was to use fire?" She bellowed and ranted to herself for a while, ignoring his frown._

 _Harry shrugged. 'Could no one appreciate my skills? That was a neat trick', he pondered before surmising, 'She's no different from Blaise.'_

 _But her reaction was far worse than Blaise's. Of course, fire terrifies anyone but her eyes displayed a primal fear and that was a startling revelation. Why would anyone be that afraid of something that was so common?_

" _If you do not mind me asking, Miss Greengrass". Her head shot up and she ceased her rant. "What is the reason for such a surprising display of...anxiety?"_

 _She stilled and the reply did not come up for a few minutes. He waited patiently, relaxing his stance and leaned back on the tree. It was obvious that she's calculating her options, for the next move would determine the course of the conversation. Whether they would be satisfied with the revelations known or search for something deeper, something more conclusive. He still wasn't sure of the reason for why she started this conversation but he was sure that there were still some moves left. Enough time for him to solve the puzzle in front of him._

" _Do you know of the Raw Magics?"_

 _Hadn't he been so aware of his emotions at that moment, he was sure that he would've slipped. This was something he definitely did not expect. An avenue that he disregarded. There was no change in her stance, no alteration in her tone or no shift in her gaze. A planned move. Was this what she was trying to achieve since the beginning of the conversation? The taunt, his magnificent display, the crack in her mask, the fear in her eyes. Primal fear could not be faked. So she knew that he would cast a fire spell._

 _As he slowly connected the dots, he could see the web woven beneath him. A plan executed with such finesse that he could easily agree that he was stumped. Now she checked him and he had only two moves left to play. To continue the conversation and reveal his secrets or abandon his only chance to know the reason for her visit._

" _I was fortunate enough to stumble upon that piece of information."_

 _She gave a nod. His reply was no surprise. "A few centuries ago, a raw magician was born in the Greengrass family. An Ice elemental. He exploited his abilities to such an extent that his descendants were born with an instinctual fear of fire. The effect lessened as the centuries passed but even now, given a good amount of flames, it could terrify me out of my wits."_

 _He showed no particular emotion on his face but on the inside, his thoughts were running at a mile per second and the doubt was spreading faster than fire. For two people who were of the same house, they never talked much and to be honest, they never even had a conversation that lasted for more than a few seconds. The Slytherin house was not for making friends. The politics that ran rampant in the house were something that he despised with all his heart and random chit chat generally consisted of boasting or making stupid plans for obtaining more power in the house. There was a reason why Blaise was his only friend in the entire Slytherin house and as far he knew, Daphne Greengrass was no different. He only saw her with Tracey Davis or her roommates and it was clear as a crystal for anyone who observed that she hated her roommates._

 _But revealing a family secret, no, weakness, to a random stranger like him was nothing short of astonishing and the alarms were blaring in his mind as he pondered over this information. She did not mention that her whole family was terrified of fire. Just her. So it's likely that they perform a ritual after they reach a certain age to neutralize the effects. Probably fourteen._

 _What could he provide as an exchange for such crucial information? Before he could contemplate his options, she continued. "Generally, once in every century, a raw magician was born. But the tenth century was an exception, for two raw wizards were born in the tenth century. Merlin and Morgana. A lightning elemental and a water elemental."_

 _This was not common knowledge. Only the families of the Sacred twenty-eight knew this information and they prided over this fact. But out of those, only seven families had an ancestor who was a raw magician. He only knew of it because Blaise gifted him a book for Christmas that contained all this information. Blaise was sure that he would find it useful. How a book on elementals could help him? Harry had no idea._

" _And the twentieth century is no different. The Dark lord and the leader of the light side are both elementals. Ice and Earth. But that's not where it ends. There is a third elemental and as far as I know, he is a fire elemental. Isn't he?"_

 _He did not meet her eyes. An elemental? Him? So this was what she hoped for. To confirm her guess. A futile effort. Now that he knew what she came for, he had no reason to feign ignorance._

 _He slowly shook his head and within moments, he was openly laughing. His posture loosened but his stance screamed 'dangerous'. His expression altered from bored to deranged and his eyes turned sharp; the emerald green changed to a vibrant green, brimmed with intelligence and cunning. A hand was in his pocket while he resumed twirling the wand with his other hand._

 _The change was so drastic that she took a step back._

" _My, my, my", he whispered but it was easily heard. "So much potential wasted on stupid politics. If you were so desperate to know, you could have just asked, Miss Greengrass. No. I am not an elemental. Am I sure? Yes. See, wasn't that easy?"_

 _She did not reply. But he didn't expect one._

" _The plan was so elaborate. Gathering information for days, waiting for a time when I would be alone, knowing that I would skip the class, taunting me to cast a spell, providing information in exchange...I'm sure that you had other plans if any of the steps failed. Tell me, what would you achieve from knowing whether I am an elemental or not?"_

" _It's none of your business", she replied acidly and he chuckled._

" _Defensive but no sarcastic comments. Hmm. So, a family matter". Her posture stiffened and he sighed. "Leave the matters of the adults to themselves, Miss Greengrass. You have your entire life after this seven years to pretend to be an adult. Do not squander your precious time over things that you would have to inevitably deal with after you grow up."_

" _And what do you know about being an adult? You have no responsibilities. Do not speak as though you know anything about me", she retorted with a flushed face._

 _He was not affected by her anger. Her anger was fairly reasonable. But the purpose she was utilizing the anger for? That was where the fault lied._

" _When I advised that you should not try to be an adult, it's not an opinion, Miss Greengrass. Experience has taught me many things and not all of them were by choice. You learn things as you live but sometimes, you would be forced to grow up and there would be nothing you could do about it". This time, he met her eyes. "I hope it's different for you", he whispered in a soft tone._

 _She remained silent, with her eyes downcast but there was nothing he could gather from it. Cautious at all times. That's how the world forced us to be._

" _And I do know about you, Daphne Greengrass". He was sure that there would be a reaction but he wasn't interested in it. "You are trained by you father, Marcus, in the Pureblood traditions and Magic. I know it's hard to be the eldest daughter of a Pureblood family and it's even harder when your mother dies when you are just two years old while giving birth to your sister". This time, he was waiting for a reaction and he wasn't disappointed. Her jaw was set and her glare could burn him alive, along with the tree._

 _He disregarded her glare and continued, "Considering how ruthless your father turned after your mother's death, it's only natural that you would not want to disappoint him and you love your Grandmother more than anything. What was her name?...Ah, yes. Aurora. Wasn't she the one who took you to the Diagon alley for your school shopping? I heard she's fabulous at telling stories."_

 _He stopped at that. The wand in her hand proved that he succeeded at what he was trying to achieve. An undeniable and uninhibited display of emotion. It was no surprise that the emotion was anger. But to his dismay, the emotion did not last for long and within moments, the mask was back. 'Occlumency', he surmised._

" _You are not very good at hiding your strengths, are you? Any respectable wizard will not flaunt his advantage over someone like that. You are so eager to display your dominance that you are spilling secrets without a care. But I do not blame you, Hadrian. Living with your vapid muggle relatives for all these years can do that anyone"._

 _The smirk vanished from his face. 'How did she know? No, it's not important. She still thinks that I live with my relatives. So it's possible that it's something she knew about before coming to Hogwarts.'_

 _Despite bringing up the topic of his dead relatives, he was not angry. Merely curious. No, immensely curious. So curious that a full blown smile was on his face. "A single spark can burn down a forest, Daphne. Make sure you stay within the confines of your lush greenery before venturing into the wild with your torch."_

 _Her eyes narrowed at the blatant use of her first name. "You are the most annoying person that I've ever met, and I'm sure you think no highly of me."_

 _He took a few steps forward. "Oh, no. You could not be farther from the truth". He stood in front of her. "Do not fret, Daphne. You are the most interesting girl I've met and", he scrutinized her for a moment and she blushed, _"as long you continue this",_ _a_ _smirk made it's way onto his face, "f_ _ei_ _sty behavior, I'm sure my opinion will not change." With that, he stepped back and leaned on the tree.__

 _ _She stomped her foot on the ground with annoyance but before she could retort, students rushed into the ground and she schooled her face. She gave one last glare before twisting in her place and sauntered to the Great hall, with her blond ponytail swinging behind her back as she walked.__

 _ _He watched her leave for a few moments before dropping onto the ground below. Who said that a day could ever go without any adventure at Hogwarts? God, he loved this place.__

 _ _He returned back to his seat at the base of the tree and resumed to stare at the Black lake. But this time, his mind was not as peaceful as he hoped. The previous conversation was running again and again in his mind. Dissecting every sentence and analyzing every word. That was the most interesting conversation he had in months.__

 _ _Elemental?__

 _ _He cast an_ _ **Incendio**_ _at the dry leaves in front of the lake. The fire burned bright but it was no different from the usual. He concentrated on the flames and tried to tug at them, with his right hand ahead. He clenched his fingers and made a pulling motion. There was no blinding display of flames rising into the air or sudden increase in their amount. In fact, the only thing that changed was that he felt more stupid than usual. Well, it's not as though he expected anything to happen.__

 _ _He shook his head before rising up. Students were piling onto the ground and he was sure that he would miss the lunch if he tried to contemplate the events that occurred. He began to stroll down the ground, with his fingers crossed behind his head while whistling to a catchy tune he heard the other day. And as he walked, he did not notice the tendril of fire that trailed behind his back before disappearing into thin air.__

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 _ **Disclaimer: I know that this chapter was shorter than usual but if I continue the story after this, this chapter would go over 10k words. But, since this was a short one, I would disregard my first disclaimer and try my level best to post the next chapter as quickly as possible. Until then...**_


	9. The Root of all Evil

**As I've promised. A faster update. Let it be known that I never go back on my word.**

 **Disclaimer: The ideas of a single person are no more valuable to the world than the leaves of a branch to the tree. But blossom or barren, the change starts at the leaves and then spreads, filling its world with the brightest colors or the darkest sadness, for the leaves are what signifies a tree, not the roots. I do not own Harry Potter.**

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The familiar white ceiling of the ward 373 greeted him as he slowly opened his eyes and he facepalmed before groaning. Just when it felt that everything was right, he had to, he just had to trip off the freaking stairs. Now, once again people would start treating him a like a fragile glass sculpture; hoping to stay casual with him but afraid to maintain the distance. He smashed his head to the pillow, repeatedly, as he berated himself and closed his eyes as he pondered over the situation.

The weekly visits to St Mungo's were brief and Healer Cooper was all too happy to cast a few spells before waving him off with a wide grin on his face. Usually, their conversations were not pleasant, consisting of nothing but sarcastic comments and he had no idea why these visits made the Healer so happy. Harry reasoned that the old man must have gone senile. Considering that the same old man frequently cast spells on him, that was not reassuring.

But what he had gathered from these short trips was that his condition was stable and there was no need for any concern. 'Tell that to my broken left arm', he derided. Maybe it could be in his favor that the Healer never scrutinized him deeply, for if he had, Harry was sure that he would have found out about the memories.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. We had been hoping that you might be awake', Healer Cooper commented as he dashed into the room with a writing pad in his hand. 'Speak of the Devil', Harry thought. "For if you weren't, we would have employed more drastic measures", the Healer finished with a sinister smile.

'Oh god, can someone call the other Healer?'

Wait a minute. We?

Within moments, Healer Valerie walked in with her usual grace and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Never leave me alone in the same room with him", Harry pleaded and she smiled as she ruffled his hair before sitting down on the chair beside the bed.

Cooper gave a booming laugh and ambled along the length of the room before taking the seat beside Valerie. Harry subtly edged to the other end of the bed and flashed a smile at the Healers. "So, any reason why you are sitting this close?"

"We merely took the seats available", Cooper returned the smile.

Harry deadpanned. "Then let me rephrase the question. Why are the seats so close to the bed?"

"You are getting more and more observant", Cooper remarked but did not answer the question and Valerie shook her head as she continued scribbling on her pad. Why she found the conversation so interesting? Harry had no idea.

"We are merely testing your behavior with people you are not close to", Valerie informed after she stopped writing. "We need to stay close so that we could know if you feel uncomfortable or not."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, continue. You are doing spectacularly."

She ignored his sarcastic comment. "And the results are not in your favor."

"Oh, come on. Who wouldn't be afraid of this scary old man?" Harry whined while pointing his finger towards Cooper. "I'm surprised that he's even allowed to go near children."

"For your information, Harry, Healer Cooper is the best at dealing with children in the entire St Mungo's", Valerie chided in a tone that usually made him cringe with shame.

"Then I worry about the state of the best medical institution in the entire magical Britain."

Valerie sighed before standing up, "I'm sorry but I have another shift at 3:00 PM. I hope I could stay", she gave a sad smile, "Get well soon". She ruffled his hair for one last time and sauntered out of the room.

"Hey! What did I say about not leaving me alone with him?" Harry yelled to her back but she gave a wave of her hand before disappearing from his sight.

Silence filled the room for a few moments before Cooper cleared his throat. "I may give the impression of an evil or a mad scientist but honestly, I'm not."

"Oh? What gave you that idea?" Harry muttered sarcastically.

Cooper exhaled heavily. "Look, Mr. Potter. No, Harry. Can I call you Harry?" Harry nodded reluctantly. "Why are you so wary of me? I can think of nothing which might have made you feel suspicious about me. Is there a reason for your caution?"

Harry didn't answer it. He really wanted to but there was so much that his answer could reveal and, it would achieve nothing but raise more questions. After his recent flash of memory, he began to question his every move and kept a vigilant eye on every action. The habit of doubting your every step could be exhausting but with the constant onset of memories, there was nothing he could do but stay watchful of the world around him.

He lived in a world surrounded by adults and if there was one thing that the adults were good at, it's hiding their true intentions. Like a reptile, waiting in the shadows for the right time to attack. He wouldn't try to be an adult but it's no reason to not be wary of them.

"Fine", Cooper stood up. "No matter how much you dislike me, I'm sorry to say that you would have to deal with me for at least an another year. My only desire was that we could get along with each other, if not become friends."

The Healer began to walk out of the room and Harry only had a few seconds to decide whether he could trust the old man or if he would have to continue this tiring charade for the entire year. It was definitely a tough decision.

"Your beard creeps me out."

"What!" Cooper frowned before narrowing his eyes. "This is no time for jokes, Harry."

"Instincts", Harry whispered and the Healer turned around. "The only thing upon which I would place my irrefutable trust. My instincts."

The Healer returned to his seat and folded his hands on his lap before staring at Harry for further explanation.

"I don't know why...I really don't, but my instincts are warning me to stay wary of you. In fact, they still do. And to be honest, your beard actually creeps me out."

Harry shifted his gaze to the hospital robe he was wearing. Will the Healer add mental instability to the increasing list of his medical problems? Well, he couldn't blame the old man if he outright laughed at his explanation. Seriously? Instincts of a boy who woke up from a coma a month ago? Who would believe in them?

But the reply was something that he would have never expected.

"So you have instincts to go along with your memories", Cooper remarked and for a second, Harry stopped breathing. "Extraordinary."

Harry could hear his heart pounding in his chest, his mind calculating the best response, his thoughts whirring around in his brain, but there was no apt answer or no sarcastic reply. The secret was out in the open and there was nothing that he could do.

So, he chuckled.

And within moments, he was laughing so hard that tears were leaking from the edges of his eyes and no matter how much he tried, he could not stop laughing.

If there was one thing he comprehended from the memory he experienced, it was that you should never let the other person know that you were cornered and for that, there was no other method but to laugh outright. Analyze. Dawdle until you find a gap and clutch at the last straws before pulling at them with all your might. The see-saw must be balanced for him to have a chance to strike back.

'Every person has a reason for their actions. You just have to pick the right needle out of the haystack'.

Abruptly, he stopped laughing and leaned back on the pillow before inclining his head towards the unperturbed Healer. "So, Mr. Cooper, for how long have you known?"

"The moment I saw you with your eyes wide open, a sense of familiarity lingering with the depths of the pools of your eyes. It was merely a hunch at that time but after I diagnosed you, I was sure that you were hiding something in that mind of yours."

Harry nodded. Of course. He was foolish to think that he could hide something from a person who had complete freedom to cast any spell upon him. "Does Healer Valerie know?"

"No, it's a spell I had found in the deepest corners of my research. Do not worry, Harry. Memories, old or new, are not as easily accessible as one might think", Cooper chuckled and it almost sounded like a groan.

"Legilimency can only achieve so much. For a skilled legilimens, it might be as easy as breathing to read the surface thoughts of a person, but, memories are much more complex than thoughts could ever be. You have to follow links upon links to reach a memory you want to procure but the method only works when you know about the memory you are reaching for."

"It would be like wandering into a forest to search for an ant."

"And, should that reassure me?" Harry mocked with a laugh, "If it's as hard as it sounds, how were you able to know about my memories?"

"You misunderstood my statement, Harry", Cooper slowly shook his head, "I've never said that I've seen your memories. I just know that they are there, somewhere within the confines of your complex mind."

"Then why did you come clean about it if you don't even know? You could have bided your time and waited for the right moment to obtain what you want."

"I repeat, I am not an evil or a mad scientist."

Despite the situation, Harry had to laugh at that.

"Let me tell you a story. I'm sure we have some time left."

Harry shrugged. "Are you trying to be one of those loving grandfathers who make children like them by telling stories?"

"Merlin, No. Believe me, this is no fairy tale with a happy ending and a memorable moral", Cooper laughed and placed his writing pad to the side.

"There was once an Auror, a brave woman, friendly but had a fiery spirit. She fell in love with a hit wizard she met during a job and within few weeks, they became a happy couple. Hit wizards had their risks but after witnessing how much they loved each other, the father had no objections to their relationship. They got engaged but a few days after their engagement, the hit wizard was bitten by a werewolf during a mission."

In no time, he lost his job, his fame and his friends. But the woman he was engaged to, was resilient and did not give up on the hope of a better life with him. He loved her with all his heart, more than she could ever know, but he knew that if they married, she would not lead a happy life, for a life filled with contempt and ridicule was no life at all. So, one day, he disappeared from her life, to be never seen and his fiancee was heartbroken.

"But when the news reached her through one of her friends that they spotted him in a distant village, she took no time to leave on a search for him, paying no heed to the warnings of her father. A village plagued by werewolves is no safe place for a woman but she was one of the best Aurors and eventually, she found him. But by the time she reached the village, he succumbed to the curse of the wolf, for the pack didn't need a werewolf who wouldn't accept its true nature."

"Her sadness altered into hatred, hatred towards the werewolves who killed her fiancee and after witnessing the sorry state of the people of the village, her resolve hardened. Along with an Armenian warlock, she got rid of the werewolves and saved the people of the village."

"That was a happy ending", Harry interrupted and the Healer nodded.

"Yes. Yes, it is. But the story doesn't end here."

"While returning to her home after her adventure, she was obliviated of her memories by an unknown person. The person who cast the spell must have done it in a hurry, for not only were the memories of her adventure had been obliviated, she was obliviated of her entire memories."

"Her father found her after a few weeks, collapsed on the side of a road to the village and she wasn't even able to form any words, let alone recognize her father."

And before the Healer could utter another word, something clicked in his mind and it all fell in place for Harry. His eyes widened and Healer nodded slowly. "The name of the woman is Alicia Cooper and I'm her father."

"I actually didn't know about all this until I read one of the books written by the most obnoxious wizard in Britain; Wandering with the Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart and after that, I found out that he did the same to the Armenian Warlock. But without her memories, I couldn't even prove it that the bastard ruined her life."

"The method we used to ingrain the vocabulary and the basic words into your mind was developed by me. To aid my daughter. But I couldn't find any method which could retrieve all of her memories, and just when I was about to lose hope, I happened to stumble upon your case."

"A boy who woke up from a coma with his mind and memories intact. Believe me, that's truly a miracle, even in this magical world."

"I could interpret your intentions, Mr. Cooper. In fact, I am happy to assist you with anything you want. But, Love and Desperation is an extremely volatile combination, and what's there to guarantee that you wouldn't cross your boundaries?" Harry inquired with raised eyebrows.

"Had I wanted to exploit your condition, I would've done it a long time ago, Harry. A vial of Draught of Living Death and there would be nothing to prove that you aren't in a coma. Whether people may like it or not, the Healers have unlimited power over them and it's one of the reasons why we take our Healer oaths", Cooper explained but Harry remained unconvinced.

"It's your daughter's life at stake."

Cooper sighed and for a moment, he looked as old as his experiences. The smile faded away and a frown took its place, his wrinkles grew prominent. He let out a hollow laugh. "I will not use my ends to justify the means. At this moment, I can offer you nothing but good intentions."

"The road to evil is laid through good intentions", Harry scoffed as he clutched the bed sheet tightly in his hand, "Every man starts with a purpose, Mr. Cooper, but where he reaches at the end of his journey is determined by the path he takes. No one is born evil. The greater your purpose, the higher the propensity to become a greater evil."

They remained silent for a few minutes, each of them lost in their own trains of thought, pondering over the decision that could determine their next conversation.

Harry wanted to help. He really did but as the Healer aptly proclaimed, the entire control laid in the hands of the old man. There would be no leverage to hold over the Healer if something went wrong but the Healer had all his secrets laid bare in the palm of his hand. It would be suicide to hand over the only thing which he could call his own. His memories.

"Let us make a deal, Harry", Cooper announced abruptly and Harry jerked in his place.

"A bit louder the next time and you would earn yourself a heart attack", Harry yelled and the Healer smiled sheepishly. "So, what's your plan?"

"As long as you stay within the boundaries of your own home, I'm sure that there would be nothing that could bother you but you are reaching eleven years of age and within ten months, you would be going to a wizarding school with three hundred children, of all years."

"You will do my homework?" Harry shouted eagerly and the Healer deadpanned. "Sorry."

The Healer chuckled. "If you are any other student, there won't be a problem but you are the Boy who Lived and it certainly raises some eyebrows when you appear no different from other children, considering that you were in a coma for nine years. The children, I'm sure you can manage, but the adults? That's where the problem arises."

"The moment you step into the school, every person in the world will know that you are back into the world of the living."

Harry's eyes widened at that piece of information. He always thought that going to school could be exciting but he never considered the consequences and the repercussions. Away from his parents, godfather, siblings, teacher; there would be no one he could rely upon. A school full of eyes, staring at his every move, every step, and where he would have to wake up early in the morning!

"Oh god, am I hyperventilating?" Harry yelled as he flailed his arms.

"No. You're not."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment in there, I thought I was."

"Of course, you did", the Healer commented and Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Is that sarcasm I hear in there, Mr. Cooper?

"As I was saying", Cooper continued as he ignored the glare from the boy beside him, "the adults are whom you should be wary of."

"I know", Harry rebuked with a shrug.

"Quit interrupting me", Cooper chided, "The Headmaster of the school is one of the most powerful wizards in the entire world and that's not including the fact that his wit is unmatched in the entire Britain. The moment you fall under his all-seeing sight, he would sniff the secrets out of you before you could say, 'Oh, god.' There are some people at the Department of Mysteries who will stop at nothing to dissect your brain, store it in a flask and cast you off as a failed experiment."

"Stop scaring me, Old man", Harry yelled from under the sheets.

Cooper sighed. "The only reason you aren't a lifelike vegetable at the moment is because your mum is one of them. Had you been any other boy, you would've been ushered to their lab the moment you woke up."

Cooper smiled sadly at the thin eyed glare he was getting from the boy. "I am not trying to scare you, Harry. You were wise to be wary of me and I appreciate your vigilance but the outside world is not a place for children. You need the help of an adult to deal with the adults. Your family could help you but what could they do when they don't even know about you?"

"I'm not asking you to spill your secrets to me or to the members of your family. Like you said, every action has a purpose behind it and there could be a reason why you are experiencing these memory flashes. But all I ask of you is to let me help you and I want nothing but your assistance in return."

Harry stared at his hands, contemplating his options. 'Make allies of the people who have potential'. This was what the other Harry followed. 'If you don't have the courage to take risks, then you can achieve nothing in this world'. He couldn't fight all of his battles alone; lost in his own lies and buried in his own secrets. He must start trusting someone at one point or the other, and why not now?

He nodded to himself.

"I agree on your terms and conditions, old man", Harry raised his hand for a handshake and the Healer smiled benevolently as he took his hand. "Does this make you go 'grandfather' mode on me?"

"You wish", Cooper let out a rumbling laugh, "You ask for more than what I can provide."

Before they could continue upon their newly made alliance, his family barged into the room with all of them shouting their own remarks at his state. But before he could answer to any of them, a little girl jumped onto his lap and held at his robe as she yelled, with tears leaking from her eyes. "I'm so sowwy. I will never shout in your ear again. I'm so sorry. Do you hate me?"

Harry frowned deeply, his heart clenching as he watched her cry and he stared at the others for an answer.

"Alex thought that it would be funny to see her reaction when he told her that she was the reason you fell off the stairs", Lisa informed as she glared at a guilty looking Alex.

"You are getting wiser and wiser with each passing day", Harry muttered scathingly and Alex bowed his head, with his own tears forming at the edges of eyes.

Harry let out a deep breath before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Alex. It's just that we agreed that we won't play with others emotions didn't we?"

Alex nodded shakily. "Sorry."

"At least you could have blamed it on Sirius. His jokes really do kill people", Harry suggested with a smile and the others laughed while Alex chuckled in between teary coughs.

"I don't why but being at the hospital makes you so witty all of a sudden", Sirius grumbled and Harry winked as he smirked at his godfather.

"And, you", he poked his finger at the forehead of the little girl in his lap, "I can never hate you, okay. Do you understand?"

She nodded against his wet shirt. "And people do not fall off the stairs if you shout at their ears. How did you even believe that guy?"

She punched in his stomach and he smiled before placing a tentative kiss on her forehead. He turned her around to face the others and settled her on his lap before staring ahead.

His mother sat beside him and ran a hand through his hair. "I always told James that red hair would've looked good on you but he never believed me". Lily turned to James, "See?"

For the second time that day, his heart stopped for a moment before it resumed beating. They must have noticed his startled look because James conjured a mirror and placed it in front of him. His eyes widened comically as he stared at himself in the mirror, for half of his hair was altered into a thick blood red color.

"Ho..How?"

"You don't know?" Lily frowned before she slapped her hand to her forehead. "We never did tell you."

"Tell what?"

"You are a partial metamorphmagus. Your grandmother is a black so you have some of the Black genes in you and the Blacks are notoriously famous for producing the most number of metamorphmagus. But since you are of the second generation, you have limited genes. In the recent times, due to the madness for blood purity, the number of metamorphmagus have decreased but when a Pureblood from a black family marries a muggle born witch, there is a good chance that the offspring has some special ability", Sirius explained in a nonchalant tone. Well, he never did like the Black family.

"So, what can I do with this? Are there any other people like me? When did you first know that I am a metamorphmagus? Is partial different from full", Harry fired in rapid succession until James put a hand to his mouth.

"Woah, wait there, Lily Junior", James placated with his hands raised and Lily glared at him, "Partial metamorphmagus don't have as much freedom as a full metamorphmagus. A full metamorphmagus can shift into any person, not limited to gender or age or magical power. But at the maximum, a partial metamorphmagus can increase the length of his hair, fingernails or the color of the hair. Not much useful in my opinion but definitely cool."

"You have a cousin who goes by the name 'Tonks', and she is a full metamorphmagus since she is a first generation Black. I think she is studying her sixth year at Hogwarts", Sirius informed as he rubbed at his chin.

"We knew about this when you tried to change the color of your hair when you were a year old because you liked my hair so much", Lily let out a rare giggle, "You used to chew on my hair for all day."

Harry flushed a light red before rubbing at his neck. "Of course. I should have asked about it when the length of my hair was the same even after being in a coma for nine years."

That dimmed the excitement a bit and Harry berated himself for not thinking before spouting words.

"Well, if you are done with the happy reunion, I have a few things to say", Cooper remarked from his place and that was when they noticed the Healer sitting on the chair.

"Didn't notice you there, Darius", Sirius smiled and the Healer waved it off with his own smile.

"We have found out why he fainted this morning", Cooper informed and with that, all the eyes were on him, "Stagnancy. I'm sure he never left the boundaries of the house."

Lily nodded. "We thought that he would need some time to get accustomed to people before venturing into the outside world."

"Well, A month and a half is a bit long to get accustomed, don't you think? The most dangerous thing in the world is an empty mind and in this case, it's no different. If he doesn't make new memories, the stagnancy of his mind will result in memory lapses or bouts of unconsciousness", Cooper informed before turning in the direction of Lily, "I'm sure that you people in the Department of Mysteries know about this phenomenon. People with huge gaps in their memory generally experience lapses in their memory or in physical terms, they faint."

"So, all we need to do is to take him out?" James inquired with a frown.

"No. It's not that simple. Excessive influx of memories can be as dangerous as stagnancy. A trip to some place for once every two weeks will be fine. Let him sort through his experiences until then before he could make some more memories. That will be the best treatment for him."

All of them nodded simultaneously, agreeing with the logic and Harry smiled inwardly. 'You are a professional at this old man.'

"The best place to start would be Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley? That place is filled with people!" James opposed before realizing. "Oh."

"Yes. What better place to see a lot of people and different kinds of things if not Diagon Alley?" Cooper smirked, "But for now, I would like to have a few words with my patient about how to deal with this problem if it occurs the next time. So, everyone, out."

Lily dawdled until the Healer stared at her. "I said, 'Everyone'."

"You are as devious as you are old, Mr. Cooper", Harry commented after his family left the room.

"There are two ways to explain every problem. All you have to do is to mix the truth with the lies and no one will suspect a thing. These are things you learn as you grow up", Cooper chuckled.

"Considering your age, you must have thousands of such tricks", Harry mocked in a light tone.

"But important matters first. I hope that you won't have to face any difficulties with your trip to Diagon Alley. I know that it is a desperate measure but there is no place that could have as many triggers as the Diagon Alley. I'm sure that by the time you return, your head would be bursting with memories."

"Is that the reason why you released me that quickly from the hospital the last time? Because you know that I wouldn't get any new memories if I stayed at the hospital", Harry surmised.

"I agree that it was a rash decision but I was elated that I could finally find a way to retrieve the memories of my daughter."

"We all make mistakes. But it turned out well, didn't it? Had I stayed here, I would have never learned this much. Sometimes, you have to take risks to achieve anything", Harry shrugged as he grinned.

"You are exceedingly wise for your age, Harry. But it may not always work that way. My decision could have placed you in some serious danger and for that, I am extremely sorry", the Healer bowed his head.

"Don't go all emotional on me, Mr. Cooper, It doesn't suit you. But how should I deal with all my memories when I go to Diagon Alley? What if I fall unconscious from the overload?"

"For that, I have a method, Harry and it's known as the 'Basics of Occlumency'."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I am sure that many of you realized that there was a drastic change in my writing style after the fifth chapter. I am planning on writing a new story. No. I am not abandoning this. There's no chance that I would ever abandon a story. But I just want to know...Which writing style do you guys like more? Any fans for the first one?**

 **I know that adding the metamorphmagus part turned this into a cliche but it's extremely important for the story and I had no other way to explain the color change without bringing in the 'metamorphmagus' part. Hope you agree with the logic.**


	10. A Beautiful Start

**I've written a new story titled, ' _Mysteries of an Unusual_ _Mind_ _'_ and I am sure that it will be as interesting as this one if not more. It helped that this is my first fic and now I have some experience in writing to support my complex plots, for this new story is based on a concept that fascinates me the most. Multiple Personalities. **

**If you like this one, then I'm sure you will like the other one too.**

 **For readers who believe that I won't 'Time skip', I am sorry to let your hopes down but hear me out. It's December at the moment and Harry has nine more months before he can go to Hogwarts. No matter how much I Love detailing my stories, even I can't elucidate the experiences of nine months within a few chapters.**

 **So, for readers who were complaining about the pace, "Yay!" At the most, it would be four to five chapter before the Hogwarts arc would start. Are you as excited as I am?**

 **Disclaimer: The reflections in the mirror can never accurately depict a person, for a person is not the shell he is confined to. The dreams that float in your mind, the hopes that stay in your heart and the ideas that linger in your mind are what defines you and as long as you remain true to yourself, the world may not see you for what you are but you definitely will.**

 **But before I sign in….Do you guys even read the Disclaimer?  
**

 **I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Before Lily knew, the day for the Diagon Alley trip arrived and the anxiety rolling in waves around her did not subside. Saying that she was skeptical of this whole trip was an understatement. No matter how solid the argument and how logical the theory might seem, Lily was unconvinced that a trip to one of the most populous places in the entire freaking Britain was a good idea and no matter how much Harry pleaded her, she was not leaving him alone during the whole trip.

But no matter how much she yearned for it, she couldn't keep him near her or in fact, any of the family members. Maybe except the children. 'A ten-year-old boy walking with one of the members of the Potter family? If that doesn't ring alarms bells in the minds of the people, then I would be convinced that wizarding population is the dumbest group of creatures on Earth', she mused.

She wished they were but fortunately or unfortunately, they were not.

The rest of the family was outraged at this sudden insight but they realized the logic behind it after some time. But Evelyn was adamant that she would stay with him and clung to his shoulder for an entire day to prove it. After that, they didn't need much incentive and an extra hand, despite being small, would definitely aid Harry in his trip. It surely helped that not a lot people knew how Evelyn looked despite knowing about her.

For the next few days after he was released from the Hospital, Harry spent his time alone for hours, gazing at nothing before spending his day as though nothing was wrong. He was definitely calmer and less enthusiastic than before but it did no wonders to his sense of mischief or adventure.

She definitely liked this change, for once he leaves to school, his unbridled enthusiasm could be the most dangerous thing for him and no matter how much she wished that he could stay at home for his entire life, deep down, she knew that it wouldn't happen.

She could not take away his source of Happiness and a lifetime of experiences from him. Hogwarts was not merely a school for its students and words couldn't describe the greatest place on Earth.

She was about to knock on his door when she realized that the door was left open. She slowly opened the door, hoping that it wouldn't creak but her wish was not granted and it creaked louder than usual. She cringed as she cursed the stupid door but as she opened her eyes, an unusual scenario met her sight.

Harry was sitting crossed legged on his bed, meditating and it seemed that he was unperturbed by her interruption. As she stared at him, it finally clicked to her and her bleary morning eyes widened at the realization.

He was practicing Occlumency! She was so stupid for not realizing it before and the reason for his secret conversation with the Healer dawned upon her.

Healer Cooper was teaching him Occlumency!

It wasn't a startling revelation, considering Harry's peculiar situation but even she had to agree that teaching Occlumency to a ten-year-old was pushing it.

But another thought hit her as she pondered over this. How much had she hoped that someone would teach her Occlumency in school when all the Purebloods strutted along the Great Hall as they boasted about their magical training before they came to school. She was extremely agitated that it was so unfair and it infuriated her to an extent that she tried to break the rules by venturing into the restricted section of the Library. She did back off after she reached the library but well, the thought counts.

So, she slowly backed away from his room and was about to close the door when Harry yawned. She stood still, making no movement and then abruptly Harry collapsed onto the bed before he wrapped the blanket around him.

Within moments, he was sleeping peacefully and Lily deadpanned. 'He was sleeping for all this time?'

She smiled as she closed the door. Well, he might be sleeping at the moment but she was sure that the other times when she noticed, he was practicing and she could surely cut him some slack for training hard.

Breakfast could wait. She would let him sleep for now. As she reached this decision, she wasn't hoping that he would have less time to spend at the Diagon Alley if he started late. She definitely wasn't thinking that.

By the time Harry reached the Hall, all the members of his family, along with Sirius and Remus were waiting for him at the dining table. Their postures were rigid, muscles taut and everybody was displaying their own nervous tics. He rolled his eyes as he walked over to them before dropping onto the chair. Merlin, they were acting as though he was running head along into the Battlefield, to never return.

"Since I woke up late, I am thinking of having breakfast at the Alley."

"What?" he heard his parents shout while Sirius banged his head on the table and Remus shook his head. "You are not leaving this house without having Breakfast. You woke up late and you should suffer the consequences", Lily asserted with her hands crossed across her chest.

"And whose fault is that, mom?" Harry retorted with narrowed eyes and Lily flushed for a moment before righting herself.

"It doesn't matter. You are not having breakfast at the Alley and that's final."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Harry threw his hands up in the air before eating the eggs on his plate as he muttered his complaints to himself. He finished the breakfast in record time and rushed to the fireplace with a cap in his hands.

"Let us make haste, my lazy crew", he turned towards his family, "For the day won't wait for us, ye crazy sailors", he shouted before throwing the Floo powder into the fire and flashing away.

"I know. I should never have given him that book", Remus agreed as Lily glared at him.

* * *

Harry appeared in a dingy pub, dark and shabby, with numerous tables spread over the expanse. It smelled of rotten wood, smoke and obviously, alcohol. A lot of commotion could be heard at the center while the whispers emanated from the shadowy corners. The people paid no heed to a boy flashing alone into the pub, indulging in their own vices and enjoyed their paltry meals. 'Maybe a boy appearing out of nowhere is a common occurrence in here', Harry surmised.

As he walked along the wooden floor, a balding man who looked older than the pub appeared beside him. "Hello there, little boy."

Harry looked to his sides and then to his back, 'Little boy?'he thought before he realized that the man was talking to him. Suppressing his annoyance, he plastered a smile. "Hello."

"New here, eh? I'm Tom, the landlord", Tom informed as he scrubbed his hands with a cloth, "Are you lost or did you come for breakfast?"

The cap likely hid the upper part of his face and Harry patted himself on the back for thinking of bringing it along. "Oh. I would like to but I don't think that my parents will support my hasty decision."

"I see", Tom drawled with a thin eyed stare. "Where are they?"

"I believe that they are at the apparition area. Could you show me where it is?" Harry mustered up the most innocent smile he could manage. The stare persisted for a few moments before it vanished a smile took its place. 'Kids flooing without their parents must be another common occurrence. God, this wizarding world is weird.'

"Of course", Tom smiled and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, "But the next time, you need to buy something."

"I will remember it."

He was led to a brick wall which seemed as though it extended up to the sky. Enchanted. Tom drew his wand and tapped seven tiles in an anti-clockwise order and slowly but steadily the wall collapsed into itself, forming a large archway and within moments, a magnificent sight greeted his wide eyes.

At the first sight, a mild headache flashed through his brain like an old friend but he breathed heavily for a few moments before shaking his head. 'Slow and steady breaths. Do not let the images flow. Redirect them to an empty place. Make sure they stay there. Breath.'

The next time he opened his eyes, the pain lingered but it was alleviated by a small extent and most importantly, the world seemed stable. Tom was watching him curiously but he waved his hand with a smile and ran into the crowd. His family was waiting for him at a corner, huddled in a group while Remus appeared behind him with Evelyn in his hands.

"I thought that Tom wouldn't get any older", Remus commented as he approached them, "I stand corrected."

He took Evelyn from Remus's arms and placed her on his shoulders before subtly standing beside his family so that nobody would notice that they were the part of the same group.

"What are things you shouldn't do?" Lily whispered from his side, with worry clearly heard in her voice and Harry smiled.

"Don't run into the crowds. Don't go anywhere without contacting you first. Don't talk with any other people and ten other rules that I remember but am too tired to say at the moment."

"Your Head girl experience is clearly helping you in your life", Sirius nodded sagely, "I don't think anybody can write thirteen rules in under a minute."

"Add the fourteenth", Lily proposed, "Don't do anything that you think Sirius would do."

"Now that's just spoiling the fun", James grinned as he fist bumped with his friend.

"Now we easily know the places that Lisa and Alex will go to. Lisa to the Flourish & Blotts while Alex will disappear into the Quidditch store. All you have to do stay within the visible range of these two stores", Remus advised as he stared ahead.

"Yes, Remus", Sirius agreed. "You stay here and finish the arithmancy calculations while we continue with the shopping", he finished with a snicker.

"Shut up, all of you", Lisa yelled, her eyes darting towards bookstore, "Finish this quickly. I am not staying here for another minute."

"So, Harry", Lily turned towards the place where Harry was but found nothing. She stared ahead and found him waving at them from a distance with a wide grin on his face. "I knew he would do this."

James shrugged before dragging her towards the Florean Frotescue, "He'll be fine. It's been months since I had a date with my beautiful wife."

"If Harry goes missing then this will be the last date you can ever have with me."

"Oh, such a cruel mistress", James wailed before smiling softly, "He is not a kid, Lily. You should trust him to be on his own. You cannot fight his battles for him"

"I know, and I do trust him", Lily sighed as she followed James, "But that does nothing to ease my apprehension."

"And that's how it should always be."

* * *

Harry was unable to fix his gaze on one particular place. His stare darted from one shop to the other, then to the people, then to the road ahead and it was a tiring but continuous cycle. It was undoubtedly the most magical place in the Britain. The tilted shops to the animated signs, the weird robes to the hooting owls, the crazy crowd to the proud Purebloods, the shouting shopkeepers to the bargaining customers, the running children to the scolding parents, the beautiful couples to the fearsome goblins, the old structures to the astounding bank. It was fascinating.

He ran from shop to shop, startling some of the customers with his wild enthusiasm and a yelling little girl on his head but most of the people ignored his exuberance while some people smiled and some people sneered. Ignoring the tapping on his head by Evelyn and the varied reactions of the people, he darted across the street.

As though something struck him, he halted in his steps and stared at the shop to his right. Eeylops Owl Emporium. He walked forward, taking tentative steps and peeked inside. The smell of owl droppings hit his nose and he cringed. "Eew. Go back", Evelyn ordered.

But ignoring her order, he strolled into the store and turned his head to meet the eyes of a snowy owl. It was smaller than the rest of the owls, white feathered with golden spots spread over its body and its eyes were a dark amber, staring at him curiously. Transfixed, he walked over to the cage, ignoring the hoots of the other owls around him and poked his finger though the bars of the cage.

"Hey, Boy, Don't. She is a vicious one", the shop keeper yelled from a corner but he paid no heed to the warning.

The owl stared at him, as though weighing his presence and he felt lighter than a sickle at the moment. But then, abruptly, she nibbled at his finger and he breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted the impatient girl from his shoulders and placed her in front of the cage.

"'Hello", Evelyn greeted with wide eyes and the owl hooted once before ignoring both of them and turning to the other side.

Harry deadpanned. 'She is lazier than me.'

"Well, I'll be damned", the shop keeper muttered as he approached them, "She is vicious with the people she doesn't like so I generally warn people to not go near her."

"I have some experience with vicious girls", Harry whispered as he blandly pointed to the girl on his shoulders and Evelyn hit him on the head.

The shopkeeper laughed at their antics. "So, you want to buy this one?"

"Yes", Harry nodded vigorously and was about to take some galleons out of his pocket when he realized that he had an entire afternoon to stay at the Alley and he couldn't carry a cage around with him. "Can I come after some time. I have a pretty long trip before me. Until then will you not sell this cute girl to anybody?"

"Sure" the shopkeeper agreed in a skeptical tone and Harry took out two galleons from his pocket.

"This is the advance", Harry handed the two galleons and the shopkeeper nodded before handing him some sort of token.

"It's a token we generally give after a purchase but I think that this counts as a purchase", the shopkeeper smiled, "Show this and the owl will be yours after the rest of the payment."

"Thank you, Mr?"

"Krent. Mark Krent", Mark shook his hand, "and you are?"

"Hadrian", Harry did not mention his last name but Mark nodded before turning on his heels and sauntered to the counter.

"We'll come back after some time", he promised to the snowy owl and strolled down to the exit.

"I don't think that she understood", Mark commented as he placed the galleons into the drawer.

Harry smiled as he continued his stroll. "Of course, she did."

It just happened that the moment he walked over to the Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions, he was surrounded by a gaggle of women, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Merlin, You both are so cute", was the comment that broke their hesitation and within seconds they were pulling at his cheeks. Evelyn who was about to cry took the cap from his head and covered her face, which left his long red and black hair widely visible to everybody.

"Your hair is so pretty", one woman pulled at his hair and he desperately tried to avoid their tentacle-like fingers, covering his head with both his hands. He peeked a glance through a hole between them and caught sight of a familiar looking girl. Seizing this non-lasting chance, he dashed to Flourish & Blotts and panted heavily. 'Oh god, women are cruel.'

"Evelyn?", he heard someone mutter and he lifted his head to glance at a girl about Lisa's age frowning at them.

"'Lo, Tori!", Evelyn waved her tiny arms at the girl and the girl named, 'Tori', returned a reluctant wave, the frown still visible on her face.

"Who are you?" Tori stared at him with narrowed eyes but before he could answer, he heard the familiar voice of another girl. A girl he only knew through his memories.

"Tori, what are you doing there?" A girl around his age, with blond hair and pale blue eyes, came into his vision and his heart started pounding in his chest. Sweat began to form on his face, due to his swift run and the girl in front of him, likely to be the second reason. He glanced sideways, searching for the best moment to vanish from their sight but his prayers were not answered. A wave of people surrounded them on both sides, making it impossible to run away without making a commotion. 'First trip and I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.'

"Who are you?" Daphne inquired with a hard stare but there was no doubt in her tone. Only curiosity. She seemed different from the girl he knew from his dreams. There was no malice in her soft voice or cunning in her blue eyes. It's as though this Daphne was satisfied with her life.

"He is my brother", Evelyn chirped before he could turn the other way and he cringed. 'Oh god. This is getting out of hand.' He gently placed Evelyn in the welcoming arms of Tori but he was unable to whisk away the cap form her little hands.

"You brother?" Daphne tilted her head as she scrutinized him before she gasped and her eyes widened. "Dear Morgana, You are..."

Before she could utter another word, he placed a hand on her mouth and pushed her to the opposite wall with his body. She struggled under the palm of his hand but he did not let go and only shook his head harder. "Don't".

She stopped struggling and he relaxed before blushing deeply as he realized their position. "I'm sorry!" He released her from his hold and she rubbed at her lips as she glared at him.

"Why did you do it?" She yelled in a whisper, massaging the hand which was stuck between her and the wall.

"There are two ways to inform your discovery. In a surprised whisper or in a startled shout, and you seemed adamant about doing the second", Harry replied while glancing at the bruise forming on her hand. 'I definitely left a mark on her on our first meeting. Literally', he thought sarcastically.

"There are two ways to stop someone from doing it. You tell them that they shouldn't or you push them on to a wall with a hand on their mouth and you did the second", she retorted with a scowl, her hands crossed across her chest. 'Well, this Daphne might be different from the Daphne of my memories but her anger is no less than the other.'

"I am sure that you can stop anyone in their steps with your glare but I can't", Harry was never the one to back down from a battle and it's no different with a girl. Peace cannot be achieved through kind words and calming actions.

"Then maybe you should try to think before you act. You can start with sharping your mind instead of taming your hair".

"I. Do. Not. Tame. My. Hair", Harry shouted in a whisper, pronouncing each word clearly, "Unlike someone, I am not a spoiled Pureblood princess, Miss Greengrass."

Her glare hardened, her fists tightened and he knew that he crossed a line. "You...", she struggled to find a word that would explain the emotions rolling inside her, "You are the most annoying person I've ever met."

Despite the precarious situation, Harry was reminded of the fact that the other Daphne described him in the exact same words and it broke the barrier. Within moments, he was snickering, which turned into a boisterous laugh and he held at his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably.

Their sisters, who remained silent during their entire confrontation stared at him as though he had gone crazy and Daphne was left perplexed at this sudden turn of events.

He subdued his laughter after a minute with great effort, "Do not fret, Daphne", he smirked as he crossed his fingers behind his head, "You are undeniably the most interesting girl I've met till now". With that vague statement, he resumed laughing.

Daphne stared blankly at him before declaring, "You are incorrigible."

"What's going on in here?" the voice of a woman cut through his laughter and he tilted his head to sneak a glance at the intruder. "Daphne, I have been waiting for you for ten minutes."

"Sorry, Mum. I was about to enter when I was interrupted by this crazy person", Daphne informed as she pointed at him.

Mum? Is her mother alive? But how? Different scenarios spread rapidly through his mind before he concentrated on them to barricade the river of thoughts and pushed them to the side. That was when he heard her introduce him in an insightful manner. "Hey! That was an honest mistake and you know it."

"Is there anything that I should know about?" Daphne's mother inquired with a mischievous smile. Before she could gather her conclusions he interrupted her.

"There is no need to concern yourself over such a trivial matter, Mrs. Greengrass", Harry smiled innocently, "We made peace with the situation."

"More like you did", Daphne murmured from the side and he grinned at her annoyance. 'She is so much fun to deal with.'

"And who might you be?" Her mother stared at him curiously and he perceived the similar feeling of someone weighing him with their eyes. 'What's with ladies and scrutinizing with their eyes?' "But please call me, Elena. Mrs. Greengrass feels too formal for me."

"If only your daughter had inherited your pleasant demeanor along with your mesmerizing beauty", Harry sighed as he kissed lightly on the back of her hand and calmly ignored the glare combined with a blush from Daphne. "But well", Harry slowly shook his head, "I am certain that it would forever remain as a wish."

"If your head hadn't been brimmed with ego, I'm sure that you could see things the way normal people do", Daphne smiled sweetly at him, "But well, both of our dreams are unattainable."

"At least my head is filled with something", Harry smirked as he ran a hand through his hair, "You can definitely use something other than air to fill yours."

Daphne glowered at him and was about to retort when her mother interrupted. "All right, this has gone too far", Elena placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "I'm not going to stand here all day, waiting for you finish your silly spat."

"It's not a silly spat", Both of them shouted at the same time.

"Yes, it is", Elena replied with a laugh, "Both of you are coming with me and you," she turned towards him, "Where are your parents?"

"I came alone", Harry muttered quickly, earning a suspicious glance from Daphne. He was sure that if his mum found out about this, he would not have another trip in the near future. Breaking at least half the rules doesn't exactly instill confidence in people.

"And, Tori", Elena shifted her gaze to Tori and that was when she saw the little girl in her hands, "Evelyn? What are you doing here?"

"She came with her brother", Tori answered honestly and Harry face-palmed. 'Can't she see what I am trying to do here?'

"Her brother?" Elena frowned, "You mean Alex?"

Tori shook her head. "No, this boy", she pointed at him with her chin.

"What?" She glanced at him and caught sight of his emerald green eyes. She gasped but unlike her daughter, she merely covered her mouth with her hand.

Harry turned towards Daphne. "That's how you should react."

"Shut up."

"I will sincerely appreciate it if you won't disclose this information to anyone", Harry pleaded and got hold of his cap from Evelyn. "And for that matter, I don't have any qualms about coming with you". The presence of another family beside him will surely reduce the chances of another incident.

She took her time to form a response but a hug was not the response he expected. He was staring at her for one second and the next second, he was smothered in a tight hug, which left him with no space to breathe.

"We thought you would never wake up", Elena whispered as she tightened her embrace, "Lily was devastated". Apparently, their families were quite close, for you do not hug every boy you meet on the street, despite how happy you were.

"I know", he muttered as he nodded against her robe. "But I am sure that you will leave her with another reason to be devastated if you do not let me breathe."

"Ah", she stepped back and Harry took a deep breath to sate the lack of air. "Sorry."

Harry waved it off. 'What is the best way to shift the attention from him?' "So, anybody rooting for lunch?"

The growls from their stomachs were more of an answer than their sheepish smiles.

As they strolled down the alley to a famous restaurant at which the Greengrass family usually ate at, Harry was once again reminded of the fact that this Daphne was far different from the one he knew.

She walked with the grace of a Pureblood but the surety in her steps was missing, as though she was merely enjoying the walk instead of strutting around with a purpose. Her gaze shifted from one place to the other, absorbing the essences of the places but the sharp gaze with which she scrutinized the things was completely missing. Her hair, which swayed with each step she took, was braided carefully but it seemed as though a lot of effort was not applied to maintain her appearance.

In fact, she looked like any normal girl, with her own dreams and vices. Completely normal. And that was the matter that worried him the most. Could the presence of a single woman in anyone's life change their behavior to such an extent? To such extremes?

He tried to imagine a life without his mother and that single thought scared him so much that he halted his steps, his heart pounding in his chest. Despite the fact that he stayed at his home for only a month, he was certain that he was closest with his mother and the loss of her simple presence would propel him a different direction, a direction for which he was not ready. Her existence was the linchpin of his life, a balance that instilled faith in him; A belief that despite the toughest obstacles in his journey, there would always be a home for him to return to.

At the back of his mind, he knew that no matter the situation, he had someone to rely upon, a person who would never let him down. She was the lifeline of his fluttering breath and his hope in the darkest pits of despair.

In the end, wasn't that all a person needs to live a life? A person who would be there beside them; On every morning when they woke up and on every night when they drift into the endless abyss. For him, that person was his mother. The sight of her disheveled red hair, bright green eyes and cheerful smile were all that was needed to start a day.

At that moment, he discerned the reason for the deranged behavior of the other Harry. He never had anyone in his life to rely upon, did he? Confined to his mind, trustful of his actions and belief in his own thoughts. No one to tell him what was right or wrong. No one to show him the direction. No one to come home to. No one to live for.

A tear drop fell to the ground below him and abruptly, he realized that he was crying. He clenched and unclenched his hand, tipped down his cap to cover his face and rubbed at his eyes with the fabric of his shirt.

He would never hate the other Harry, despite the path he might walk upon, for whatever things he might do, good or bad, he would've had a reason. That was when he realized the purpose behind his memories. 'Don't do the same mistakes I did'. The statement was ringing clearly in his head and he smiled. 'Of course, I won't. I have someone to catch me if I fall.'

He continued walking, with a pleasant smile on his face, and ignored the curious stares of his companions. Where was he? Ah, yes. "You are different."

"What?" Daphne frowned at his abrupt comment. 'Did he say that aloud?'

"Nothing", Harry assuaged as he rubbed at his neck, "You are merely different from what I thought. In fact, once anybody gets to know you, they will realize how good of a friend you can be."

She stared wide eyed at him, the blush creeping to her cheeks and she smacked his arm. "Don't you get embarrassed after saying such things?"

"Why should I?" He furrowed his brows, "I am telling the truth."

"Never mind", she massaged her temples as she rolled her eyes. "Even you are not that bad", she accepted reluctantly, staring at anywhere but him.

"Really?"

"Hmm", Daphne nodded, "I guess that we can be friends."

"Then you will be my first friend", Harry informed with a wide grin on his face. "Well, If you do not consider my family or my Godfather or Remus. But I think that both of them can be considered as family."

That was when Daphne registered the fact that the concept of friends must be entirely new to a boy who woke up from a coma. Well, that does explain his childish behavior or his unbridled excitement. She shook her head. She was so stupid to not realize this before, for her simple decision could have affected him severely.

"Our first meeting was not the best way to make friends with someone", Daphne mentioned as she stared ahead, "So, let us introduce ourselves once again."

She presented her hand, "I am Daphne. Daphne Greengrass. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He stared at her hand, puzzled before he shrugged. "I am Harry. Harry Potter", he shook her hand as he chuckled.

"You know what, Ms. Greengrass?" Harry smiled mischievously, "I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

* * *

Harry was exhausted. He was so exhausted that he could not take another step. The snowy white owl in his hands hooted at him, concerned but he mildly rubbed at its beak to show that he was fine. But in fact, he was not.

If controlling the flow of thoughts and memories in your head for an hour could be exhausting, then doing it for an entire day was beyond the capacity of his mind. For him the Diagon Alley was a kingdom of memories, with every object trying to tell its tale to him, ignoring his desperate pleas and redundant requests. The old man would definitely get an earful after he recovered.

And by the time he reached the Leaky Cauldron to reassemble with his family, the world was spinning around him, too fast for him to perceive his surroundings. He places one step after the other, unsure of the direction he was going and it definitely helped that he had a helping hand.

Daphne was walking in step with him, worry clear in her eyes as he ambled along to his destination and he cursed his mouth for waving off her help with another sarcastic comment but even after that, she insisted that she would carry the owl. For that, he was immensely grateful.

He could discern several presences around him and he breathed a sigh of relief but unfortunately for him, those were not the people he was searching for. He tripped over a table in the pub before he collapsed onto another person and the unknown person tried to support his weight but they only succeeded in removing his cap.

It was only his luck that exactly at the same time, his scar was openly visible for anyone to see. "Bless my soul! Is that Harry Potter?"

The chaos that ensued was a mystery to his unreliable senses, for he was already drifting off to the place where he could not be harmed. The place that he had desperately tried to avoid for the entire day. His mind.

 _Harry sat at the edge of his bed, leaning on to the wall beside him while he leafed through the pages of his newly stolen book. He was certain that the person he stole the book from was illiterate and he could not let a book suffer such a cruel fate, now could he?_

 _He heard the shuffling of steps beyond his door and he frowned at the intrusion of his privacy. He had let the matron of the orphanage know that he was not interested in seeing any families. The families who visited the orphanage were all too happy to take in the lovely boy with bright red hair and emerald green eyes but, for him, one family was more than enough to scar his mind. Forever._

 _Seems like she thought that it was merely a temper tantrum._

" _Harry, You've got a visitor", he sighed as he heard the shrill voice of the matron, Ms. Ariel. "This is Mr. Dumberton – Sorry, Dumbledore. He's come to tell you... Well, I'll let him do it."_

 _Harry took in the appearance of the old...no, ancient...Harry took in the appearance of the man who looked as old as the orphanage with a bored glance. But on the inside, his senses were alerted to the maximum, for this man was different. Far different from the people he knew. But as he stared at the old man, Harry realized the this person's gaze was not on him. The gaze passed right through him, as though the man was seeing someone else in his place._

' _Another old fool who is haunted by the mistakes of his past?'_

 _The man's face tuned pale as he glanced at Harry and his each step was reluctant. Reluctant but hopeful._

" _How do you do, Harry?" Dumbledore walked forward and held out his hand._

 _Harry stared at the extended hand and then at the visage of Dumbledore. The old man was scrutinizing his every movement, every expression. 'Is this a kind of test?', Harry mused, 'Well, then I will present my best.'_

 _Harry smiled warmly and took the extended hand. It seemed as though Dumbledore's face turned several years younger and half the burdens of his life were lifted from his shoulders. The frown was replaced by a genial smile._

" _Hello, Harry", the man greeted him again, but this time, there was no wariness in his tone. "I am Professor Dumbledore"._

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry, but this was one cliffhanger I could not resist. Any ideas about how the conversation would go?**

 **In case you are bored or want to pass the time by reading another story, I remind you once again of the fact that I have written a new story. _Mysteries of a Peculiar Mind._ A _Multiple Personalities_ Fic.**

 **The pairings are Harry/Daphne, Harry/Fleur, Harry/Tonks.**


	11. The Deceiving Mirages

**I know that some of you are averse to the flashbacks, for the present will always be far more interesting than the past. The past that you cannot change.**

 **But, I advise you to read this one flashback completely, for this conversation paves a path for him, a path which he cannot refuse, and you will get an insight into how vague his character his, like the fluttering wind or the rushing water.  
**

 **Disclaimer: The Past is a shadow that you cannot escape, the Present is an idea that you cannot ignore and the Future is a mirage that you cannot forget. The seconds may pass but the life you live?**

 **I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

 **Since it had been nearly three weeks since I have updated, here is a short recap of what happened.**

Recap: _Harry stared at the extended hand and then at the visage of Dumbledore. The old man was scrutinizing his every movement, every expression. 'Is this a kind of test?', Harry mused, 'Well, then I will present my best.'_

 _Harry smiled warmly and took the extended hand. It seemed as though Dumbledore's face turned several years younger and half the burdens of his life were lifted from his shoulders. The frown was replaced by a genial smile._

" _Hello, Harry," the man greeted him again. But this time, there was no hint of wariness in his tone, "I am Professor Dumbledore."_

* * *

 _Dumbledore drew up the wooden chair beside Harry and gently slumped into it while he tucked the hem of his robe. The scraping of the legs of the chair on the wooden floor was all that was heard for a few moments and Harry was not too uncomfortable with the lack of small talk._

 _It would be stupid of a boy living in an orphanage to smile at strangers, Harry thought, as he took in the sight of the professor. It's entirely irrational but it throws people out of the loop and that's exactly what Harry was hoping for. If that professor's at least half as observant as he seems, that would be the first thing he would discern from his unconventional behavior._

" _Professor?" Harry tilted his head to the side as he pondered over the title, "Are you one of those people from the big universities?"_

 _For reasons Harry could not comprehend, Dumbledore seemed rather relieved by his choice of a guess. "Not exactly, though there is not a lot of distinction between our pursuits, but, I merely work at a school called Hogwarts", Dumbledore informed with a cordial smile before his expression grew serious, "which could be your new school if you would accept our offer."_

 _The professor placed a yellowish envelope before him, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, Room 303, Wool's Orphanage, London. Harry did not take a moment to reply, his hand automatically shifting to grab the book he placed by the window sill._

" _I am not interested," Harry shrugged as returned his gaze to the book. The school would mean another group of children his own age. Immature and Juvenile. A set of teachers to restrict his freedom. Futile and Pointless. He was smart enough to study on his own until he could go to a college. "I have to kindly reject your offer," he finished with a placating smile._

 _Dumbledore looked taken aback at this abrupt declaration, a frown marred his wrinkled face. 'Perhaps he was so sure that I am going to accept that he had no other plans?'_

 _Silence permeated the room before Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Have you ever done anything that felt remotely impossible?" It seemed that the professor did not lose hope, even after his nonchalant rejection, "Things that set you apart from your peers, feats that only you can achieve."_

 _Harry shifted his gaze from the book to the man before him, his eyes narrowing as he puzzled over the peculiar queries. He had no idea what brought up this abrupt change in the conversation but there were a ton of things that he could think of, for his entire life was driven by factors that seemed improbable at first glance, though he could not perceive what the man was getting at. So, he merely nodded and Dumbledore continued, apparently satisfied by his nonverbal answer._

" _There is a complete world that you do not know off, Harry," Dumbledore's tone was tinged with a sense of wonder, which strangely suited his grandfatherly voice, reminding Harry of the old people in the stories who tell tales by the fire, "hidden from the sight of the muggles to upheld the secrecy."_

 _Intrigued by the vehement declaration, Harry returned the book to its previous position. Muggles? Secrecy? He did not understand what the professor was trying to imply, or what these terms even meant, but he could grasp the gist of the statements. "Muggles mean normal people?"_

 _Dumbledore beamed at him and his eyes strangely twinkled behind his outlandish spectacles but Harry ignored it to be a trick of the light. "Yes, people who are not born with any inherent magic," he nodded before fixing him with a scrutinizing stare. "But you are different. You are a wizard, Harry."_

 _There was no thunder rumbling in the background or rain drops pattering at his window or winds blowing in the vicinity, while the shouts and exuberant yells of the children from the playground behind the orphanage and the occasional horn of a car were the only disturbances. In fact, it was so astoundingly normal that all Harry could eloquently utter was, "Huh."_

 _Adrift in his own musings over the path this conversation took, Harry did not comprehend the gravity of the revelation. Dumbledore patiently waited for the effect to sink in, for the inevitable shock that would be written on the face of the child in front of him and he was not disappointed. Harry's eyes widened at the realization, his eyebrows rose as his thoughts ran a mile a minute before he frowned and finally settled in a thinking pose._

" _How can I be sure that you are telling the truth?" Harry inquired with his hands crossed across his chest, "For all I know, you could be an unhinged old man, lost in your own delusions of grandeur. In fact, this seems more plausible than your theory."_

 _Dumbledore chuckled lightly and his beard shook as he calmly leaned onto his chair, as though he already expected the question. Obviously. But as he took out a wand from his robe, Harry had an incipient nagging suspicion in the back of his mind that he would not like what was coming. No matter how fascinating it could be._

 _Dumbledore subtly pointed the wand at the wardrobe and it lit up like a bonfire in the middle of the night, with no signs of stopping until it consumed every inch of the wood. Another flick of his wand and there was not a single sign that magic had been used on the old wardrobe._

 _The serene smile on Harry's face vanished into thin air, his curious expression was broken like glass, with cracks spreading over his entire good boy act. His posture loosened, seemingly uncaring of his surroundings but his bright green eyes told another story and his hair slightly fell over his forehead, obscuring his scar from sight._

 _The flames triggered an onset of memories that he was valiantly trying to ignore for years but the images flashed in his mind, of the despondent life he lived at the Dursley's. His shallow breathing did not help the rising sickness in his stomach, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to quell the horrible sensation._

 _Like a knot, his thoughts unraveled and he was reminded of the boy who sat on the swing at the playground in Little Whinging; The serene smile as he watched the smoke rise from Number four, Privet Drive. He shut his eyes and clamped down on that train of thought before he could succumb to the memories of the past._

 _Dumbledore turned to glance at Harry after neutralizing the spell, likely expecting an awed stare but what he found had hit him like a blizzard on a bright summer day. He took a sharp intake of breath, his face stricken with despair, as though he had seen what he was desperately hoping to avoid. A ghost. It was a testament to his decades of experience that he only needed a few seconds to subjugate the distress that clutched at his heart._

" _Do you try this trick with every student you accept into your school or is it another one of tests you wanted me to pass?" Harry sighed, disappointed with himself for losing control so easily. The anchoring assurance that he had was replaced by a withering vulnerability, for no matter how persistently he might deny, he was but a child._

' _The things that you cannot fear can be your greatest weakness', Harry thought ruefully. 'In my case, I am my greatest weakness. My nature which laid my secrets bare for the world to see.'_

" _I had an inkling, a slight suspicion but, at this age, all I could do was hope", Dumbledore whispered hoarsely, "Hope that your conscience wouldn't be tainted by the ruthlessness of your circumstances."_

" _Circumstances? You speak as though you know me, Professor" Harry scoffed as he shook his head, "Do not pity me because I stay in an orphanage."_

" _Ah, I wish with all my heart that it was the case but I couldn't deny that I am responsible for this", Dumbledore made a sweeping motion with his hand, gesturing at the room of the orphanage. He took a deep breath, as though readying himself for an inevitable battle and rubbed at his forehead. "Do you know of your parents, Harry?"_

 _Harry stared at Dumbledore with narrowed eyes. His Parents. For his entire stay at the Dursley's there was not a day when he hadn't prayed to all the gods that his parents would come and rescue him but when he found out that they were dead, it was with a cold realization of reality that his dreams ended. His hopes were shattered but there was a tiny part that persisted, that maybe he had loving parents at one time and he felt that he could live with hope._

 _No matter how many times the Dursley's ridiculed his parents or spouted lies about them, the hope did not wane but after he entered the orphanage, the idea of parents felt so distant that within a few months, he buried the hope, for it did not matter now, did it?_

" _They died in a car accident", Harry informed, his tone devoid of any emotion, but his fists tightened. "I don't even know their names."_

" _Car Accident?" Dumbledore iterated incredulously before he muttered something to himself, but Harry heard the words 'Petunia', 'hate' and 'sister' and the air around Dumbledore sizzled as he tried to rein his emotions. "They did not die of a mere car accident!"_

 _Dumbledore visibly restrained himself. "James and Lily were the bravest people I knew," he spoke in a soft tone, with his eyes downcast, "and if there was one thing they loved and valued more than their life, then it would be their son, Harry."_

 _Harry listened intently, hanging onto every word and as Dumbledore narrated the events before the Halloween, he had a sinking realization that the world he would enter might not be a leeway but a burden. He could tell that the professor was still hiding plenty of things from him, for most of the dots did not connect but this was the first time in his life that he was hearing of his parents and he would be damned if was going to interrupt this._

" _Your aunt was your last living relative and I had no choice but to place you in her hands, for if the wizarding world got a whiff of your location, then even my influence would not be able to protect you from the Death Eaters who escaped from Justice."_

" _So, you are telling me that you didn't even think for a moment before placing a child at the doorstep of an Aunt who hates his mother and his heritage", Harry raised his eyebrows as he blanched at this stupidity, "Tell me, Professor, did you even try to check upon me from time to time?"_

 _By the guilt-stricken expression on Dumbledore's face, he realized the landlady must have told him about the scars from the wounds on his body and her doubts that he might have been abused, for, despite her assurances, Harry never told her about his life before coming to the orphanage and let her come to her own conclusions._

" _I appointed a woman to inform me about your wellbeing. You might have known her by the name, M/s. Figgs. She was a squib and that was her only Job", Dumbledore reasoned, "I had no cause to doubt her."_

" _M/s. Figgs! She couldn't cross the road without help", Harry mocked with contempt as he remembered the frail old woman with a weird penchant for cats, "Why would she risk her job if she could pretend that there was no problem?"_

 _Harry could not understand why there was a burning anger clawing at him as he reminisced about his childhood, for the emotion that usually gripped at his heart was the disappointment; A distinct resignation that he could not change what had happened. Maybe because now he knew what life he could have lived if his parents hadn't died. Maybe because it was not his fault that the Dursley's hated him. Maybe because he had confined his anger at his circumstances for long that it came rushing when it saw an opening._

" _You need to understand that it didn't even cross my mind that an aunt could hate her only living relation to her dead sister", Dumbledore's eyes met Harry's and he hoped that the boy could see the guilt that he shouldered for all these years, "I was fooled by my own self-assurance, a belief in my conviction that love could triumph over the hatred for a dead woman."_

" _Understand?" Harry shouted and the window behind shattered as he banged his fist onto the mattress, "Who was there to understand my suffering when I lived in a Cupboard for seven years? Who was there to understand my hunger when I was starved for days? Who was there when I was forced to cook from the age of four before I could even reach the stove? Who was there to understand my pain when my uncle beat me every night when he felt that I deserved it? Who was there to see the blood dripping from the wounds that I was afflicted with and the cuts that reopened?"_

 _Harry breathed heavily, staring at his lap while he clutched at the blanket to subdue his desire to hit the mattress. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins as he let his anger take control, his lips quivering with the rush of words but there was no sign of tears or hate in his eyes. Only Sadness. "Do not expect me to understand your reasons when you were not there to understand my pain."_

 _Dumbledore seemed as though his world came crashing around him, with his half-moon spectacles in his hands and shoulders slumped. "I never knew," he whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke, "It's no justification to the suffering I put you through but there is nothing I can do now but repent for my mistakes."_

" _You probably knew that my relatives died", Harry continued, shifting his gaze to the morose old man, "Then why didn't I meet any of the wizards before coming to the orphanage? As you've said, I am pretty famous in the wizarding world. Anybody would have taken me in."_

" _Had it been a shorter time, I myself would've come to you. The incident happened when you were seven years old and you would go to Hogwarts at eleven years", Dumbledore explained as he donned his glasses, his features grim, "Four years is enough time for someone with ill intentions to find you in the wizarding world."_

' _Another reason', Harry thought to himself. It seemed that questions only produce more reasons but he was not looking for answers, for he would have chosen the orphanage over a family any day. But why were these enemies so hell bent on making a child suffer for the death of their Lord? Even a person with an ounce of common sense would've known that a mere child wouldn't be able to vanquish the greatest Dark Lord. But it's not far-fetched when the entire wizarding world could accept it._

 _Wait a minute. It's truly illogical. 'Is the Dark Lord actually dead?' he mused. He scrutinized the professor again, his gaze inquisitive, shuffling through the conversation that took place, hoping to stumble over an important fact that he could have missed. Vanquished! Of course. Defeated doesn't mean Killed. His gaze finally fell on the Hogwarts envelope beside him and he pulled out the letter._

 _He just read the first line and alarms blared in his head before he could continue onto the matter of the letter. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore?_

 _His eyes widened, doubt spread through his mind and slowly but steadily the dots connected as new questions arose with each answer he grasped. 'Why would the Headmaster himself come to give me the letter? Because I'm the Boy Who Lived? Maybe he didn't trust any other person with the job.'_

 _But another thought crossed his mind. 'He placed his faith in a squib to check upon me. Trust is not the issue here.'_

' _From the moment he stepped in through the door, the Headmaster was scrutinizing him. Every movement. So he expects something from me and doubts that I may not be able to accomplish that?'_

 _Before he could travel down that line of thought, he heard the Headmaster utter in a gruff tone and as their eyes met once again, Harry saw that the Headmaster looked as though he was prepared for any answer._

" _After all, you've been through, I wouldn't be surprised if you hate me, my boy", Dumbledore commented as he stared into his Harry's eyes. 'What's with this intense need for eye contact?' "But do not let that blind your decision for the school. Hogwarts is not just a choice for a witch or wizard but a necessity, for every magical person needs to learn to control his magic."_

' _Seems like he mistook my musings for apprehension.'_

" _Hate is such a strong word to use isn't it?" Harry muttered to himself but he was sure that Headmaster was listening to every word, "No. I do not hate you, professor. Resent? Definitely. In fact, I believe that there is no person I hate. Well, I used to hate the Dursley's but it's futile now, isn't it?"_

 _Dumbledore sighed. With relief or exasperation? Harry had no idea. "Yes, about your relatives. Do you know what happened that day?"_

' _Was it his intention to get to this topic or was it a mere coincidence?' Harry mentally cursed himself for getting lured into the trap. Considering the number of titles to his name, this man must be a genius and a mastermind. Coincidence doesn't have a place in the world of wits._

" _I don't know much about what happened. I was at the playground at that time", Harry shrugged as he refused the meet the eyes of the professor. He had a nagging suspicion that there was something more to the eye contact in the wizarding world than it did in the muggle world. 'But from what I gathered after the three days of reports was that there was a faulty gas line and then an explosion."_

 _Harry derided himself for sounding so nonchalant but he could not find it in him to fake the emotion for his dead relatives and it was abundantly clear that the Headmaster surmised this from his tone. He massaged his temples, contemplating about why today of all days that he was throwing temper tantrums and acting like an idiot, especially when the man in front of him was far too perceptive to be fooled by his beguiling appearance or deceiving words._

 _He pulled himself back from the down spiral, reining his traitorous emotions back to the deepest depths of his mind and now that he could see clearly after his appalling showcasing of his instability to the Headmaster. It's just his luck that the man was not too interested in probing his every reply._

" _Do not expect of me to care about the people who abused me for seven years, professor", Harry ran a hand through his hair as usually did when he was annoyed. "Desires only lead to disappointment. Expectations are the liabilities that people can live without."_

 _Both of them knew that he wasn't just talking about the present situation but Dumbledore's inquisitive gaze did not falter even after the fervent declaration. "You are exceedingly wise for your age."_

 _Harry frowned as he stared incredulously at the professor. 'Is that what he gathered from the statement? Seems like I cannot escape his scrutiny.' "As I've already said, it's not by choice. My experiences forced me to grow up."_

 _Despite the envious control on his emotions, Dumbledore still could not veil the abrupt rise of guilt in his conscience and Harry had no qualms in seeking pleasure from this. "Seeking to make an old man suffer from guilt, Harry?"_

 _Harry chuckled with amusement as retorted, "Is that how you defend yourself from the woes of your victims? That they are trying to falsely blame you for making you suffer?"_

 _He could deal with this witty banter; mincing his words and hiding behind a wall of smiles and nonchalance, though he was sure that landlady would give herself a heart attack if she found him having an amiable conversation with another person, especially a stranger._

 _Despite the accusation, there was no malice in his tone and Dumbledore shook his head with merriment as he smiled, though the remorse was still palpable in his eyes. "I pride myself at aptly guessing the intentions of the people, my boy. So I am immensely grateful that in all my years of experience, I was never fooled by the deluding words of the people around me."_

" _And what are my intentions, Professor?" Harry taunted as he drummed his fingers on the mattress. He would never say it aloud but this man truly intrigued him._

" _You are trying to judge me", Dumbledore commented as though he was merely telling about the weather, "measuring my worth as I spoke and appraising me as I sit before you."_

 _A genuine grin made its way onto his face as Harry listened to the words. "Do not worry, Professor. I harbor no ill intentions, as you might have already guessed. In fact, I only desire one thing. To surpass you."_

 _Just observing him, Harry could easily deduce that this man was way beyond his league. Though he was just a boy at the moment, Harry knew that it would take years of effort on his part to even hope to compare to the Headmaster. Accustomed to being the smartest of the bunch, it's only natural for him to want to be the best._

" _I won't dare to remark upon your resolve but I only that wish you could pursue a goal more worthy than surpassing a mere man."_

" _Whoever said that it is my only ambition?" Harry shook his head as he disagreed. "It would be disgraceful of me if I can't even surpass the first person I met from the Wizarding world."_

 _Dumbledore inclined his head, agreeing with the logic before a vexatious smile played on his lips. "Though technically, M/s. Figgs is the person you've met from the wizarding world."_

 _Harry choked on his breath before he coughed for a few seconds before glaring at the Headmaster, "You've ruined my life."_

" _Though I agree that this conversation is intriguing and your answers, Informative, the Headmaster of Hogwarts has a lot of other responsibilities to fulfill and it is with deep regret that I must say that I have to leave, with your answer regarding the acceptance letter."_

" _Of course, I would've doubted your intentions if you had stayed any longer", Harry nodded sagely as he rubbed at his chin, "and where can I get all these...", he shifted his gaze to the letter before him and his eyebrows steadily rose as he read the list of items. Owl? Quills? Cauldrons? No wonder the wizarding population lacked common sense. "Yes, I'm sure I can live without them."_

" _I must insist that you buy them", Dumbledore spoke in a grave tone but his lips quirked at the edges, "and I am obliged to warn you that the Deputy Headmistress offers no lee-way when such things are concerned. Her wrath is something that even I fear at times."_

" _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", Harry sympathized as he leafed through the contents once again, "But I should confess beforehand that I have no money to buy all these."_

" _Did you actually think that your parents wouldn't leave you anything", Dumbledore cocked his eyebrow as he presented Harry with a golden key, "This is your vault key for the goblin-run bank, Gringotts, which is situated at Diagon Alley."_

 _Harry probed his mind for the place, Diagon Alley, but he came up with nothing. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."_

" _I would be surprised and more than a little suspicious if you did", Dumbledore conceded, his eyes twinkling beneath his glasses and Harry blinked owlishly at the sight. 'Is every wizard this eccentric?'_

 _He informed Harry about how to get to the Leaky Cauldron from the orphanage, "You will be able to see it, though the muggles cannot. Ask for Tom..."_

 _The Headmaster abruptly ceased his explanation, as though he was unsure of what he was about to say, "Do you want me to accompany you on your trip? It could be troublesome for an oblivious..."_

" _Sure. Who better companion than the Headmaster himself?" Harry interrupted as shrugged, "I'm sure I could acquire some mind-boggling discounts if you use your influence."_

 _Dumbledore floundered, as though he had wholly expected of Harry to say, 'no' before he chuckled, "I have a reputation to uphold, my boy and it would be in bad taste if the parents find the Headmaster bargaining for prices."_

" _How does tomorrow morning work for you?" Harry inquired as Dumbledore rose to his feet._

" _I'm sure that I can manage."_

 _Dumbledore extended his hand once gain and before his eyes, Harry seemingly reverted to the state he found him in when he entered the room. Innocent and Charming. Harry leaped to his feet and shook the professor's hand, his smile back on full force._

 _Despite the pleasant and entirely deceiving conversation they shared till now, Harry was certain both of them didn't trust one another. Hiding secrets doesn't exactly instill confidence. His bipolar tendencies were just the icing on the cake. But he would need to take the first step if he doesn't want the Headmaster on his heels for the entire duration of his stay at Hogwarts._

" _I once read an advice that goes like this", Harry furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the statement, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable must be the truth."_

 _Dumbledore hummed at the statement, his face blank and unreadable and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, "A wise advice. I will keep it in mind."_

 _Harry nodded as Dumbledore sauntered out through the door, lost in his own thought about what forced him to utter the statement before his gaze fell on the broken window. He released a sigh, exhausted after this abrupt turn of events during the afternoon._

" _I'll just blame it on the old man."_

* * *

By the time Harry opened his eyes, it was far too peaceful than the usual atmosphere after he fainted and a doubt arose in his mind that he might still be dreaming. Unfortunately, he was not that fortunate.

A hoot reached his ears from his left side and he nimbly rose to a seating position, waiting with an instinctual dread for the inevitable pain to hit his head. He winced with worry as he finally managed to sit upright but to his growing delight, nothing happened.

With unbridled excitement, he jumped to his feet but to his horror, he could feel the world tilting around him and he fell on the bed with a thump. 'Excellent', he face-palmed, 'Now the blinding pain is replaced with a whirling Vertigo.'

The thump jolted the snowy owl and it hooted reproachfully before landing beside his head. Before he could blink, he was smacked over the head with a wing and for a few seconds, he was lost in a world of disbelief. 'Did I just get owned by an owl?'

"I should have let Daphne kidnap you", he tilted his head to the side to stare into the amber eyes of the owl, "or locked you away in a cage."

No reply. "or kidnap you _and_ lock you away in a cage."

The long stare he got in return could just be the most humiliating thing he had experienced in his life.

He let his thoughts wander to other places, ignoring the owl at it pecked at his blanket. _Albus Dumbledore._ This was the second time that he heard that name and now, he could understand why the Healer warned him of the Headmaster.

If the other Harry, in all his infinite wisdom, did not even step over the line when he conversed with the Headmaster, especially after he saw how insensitive Harry could be after watching the memory of his conversation with Daphne, then this man was to be feared and he should watch his steps around him.

Though it didn't seem as though the man was evil-minded or a maniac, you could never be too careful but he was sure that he would look forward to the day he would meet the Headmaster.

The proud owl beside him, who did not like to be ignored smacked his head again and he spluttered with indignation. "Stop hitting me, you vicious girl."

She hooted threateningly and he rolled back, getting as far as possible. "I don't know how I can understand you but that definitely counts as vicious."

A disbelieving hoot. "Yes, it hurts. Though it's more annoying than painful."

"I'll just add talking to owls to the growing list of the bizarre things I've seen you doing", Sirius notified as he barged into the room, "At this point, I don't even know why I'm surprised."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It's not."

"Can you two stop bickering for one second?" Lily sauntered in with her usual stern gaze. It was not definitely intimidating, probably because her husband who was walking behind her was making funny faces at the little girl in her hands. Evelyn was not amused, proved by the half-lidded stare through which she was watching her father.

"He started it", they both pointed at each other and Harry scowled at Sirius, who was already turning away with a smirk on his face.

"James, if you could kindly stop torturing little girls for a second", Sirius slowly shook his head as though he was disappointed, mimicking the deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, "We could talk as adults."

James gently placed Evelyn on the bed, beside the snowy owl, and she did not waste a second before indulging it with her baby talk. Harry envied the ease with which she petted the owl without getting smacked on the head. It was truly an unfair world.

"Considering what had happened after your visit to Diagon Alley, we decided that it is not safe for you to go out again", James informed in a serious tone, which spoke volumes about the severity of the situation. "For a long time."

Harry sighed, his downcast but he already feared that it would happen. It did not make it any less disappointing. Lily dropped down on the bed beside him and held him in her arms. He snuggled deeper into her embrace, seeking solace from her warmth. "You do know that we would not take such rash decisions if the situation doesn't call for it, right?"

Harry nodded against her chest but he did not speak up, for he was sure that his voice would crack if uttered anything. The visit gave him a friend in the form of Daphne, a companion in the form of his owl and an experience he would never forget in his life. He found out something about himself; He loved traveling. Visiting new places, traversing down the road, as far as the eye can see until you were wheezing out of breath, meeting different people.

But most of all it's the freedom that he yearned for with all his heart. It was one of the reasons why he felt invincible in the air as he rode his broom; with the wind crooning as he glided through, the unattainable horizon enticing his senses and the boundaries fading away with each passing moment, for if there was one striking resemblance between the other Harry and him, then it would be their unquenchable thirst for freedom.

"A reporter at the Daily prophet got hold of the news of your sighting at the Leaky Cauldron", Sirius thought that Harry should at least know the reason behind their decision. "And Rita Skeeter is surely not famous for her Journalism skills. Her articles are as deplorable as they are fraudulent, fabricated to deceive her readers in the most interesting and convincing way possible."

"I would actually applaud her skills if only she doesn't make me want to strangle her", James added with a sigh.

"I won't be surprised if she writes that you went into hiding to secretly train with Dumbledore to defeat a greater evil lurking in the shadows", Sirius scoffed as he imagined the article. "To be honest, the people at the Daily Prophet cannot wait for the morning to come."

"Don't worry too much", Lily patted his head as he shuddered in her arms. "It worked in our favor that with all the commotion, people did not see you clearly. The red hair definitely helped. We will try our best to deny the facts for some time."

Harry nodded again but the information did not ease the turmoil in his mind. No matter what happened, it just meant that he would not be able to go out again for at least another nine months until he could get to Hogwarts.

"Well. There is one other option", James suggested in an uncaring tone but Harry could hear the mischievousness behind it and he straightened abruptly, his hopes skyrocketing with the single statement.

"Woah. Easy there, my over excited godson" Sirius poked at his forehead but Harry ignored it, for now, and with his complete attention dedicated to his father.

"The Boy who lived story is quite famous but people from the other countries are not die-hard fanatics like the ones from Britain", Sirius settled down on the bed, "In fact, you can wander in daylight shouting that you are the boy who lived and the people won't blink an eye."

"The Blacks have a small cottage in France, currently inhabited because", James struggled to think of a better reason but finally settled on the truth. "Well, they are far too conceited and rich to care about every place they owned."

"I don't exactly care about my family", Sirius conceded as Harry raised his eyebrows at him at the comment.

"So, Sirius here had graciously agreed", James gestured towards Sirius, "though after a lot of requesting on my part", he stage-whispered at Harry, "to allow us to reside at his place for the Christmas vacation."

Sirius was about to retort at James for the far too formal explanation but he suddenly found himself engulfed in a hug from his godson. "Thank You, Padfoot."

"Hey", Sirius patted his head. "There is nothing I would do for my godson. This doesn't even count."

"Just don't get all emotional on me", he added as an aftereffect.

Harry returned to his place, with a mile-wide grin on his face and Lily thought for the thousandth time that she would do anything for the smile to never leave his face.

A hoot of an owl diverted her attention from her son and her gaze fell on the snowy white owl her son bought from Diagon Alley. She watched his thinly veiled amusement as the little bird jumped onto his shoulders before smacking him on the head.

The grin vanished from his face in an instant before it was replaced by fond exasperation. "I still did not change my mind about letting Daphne kidnap you and lock you away in a cage."

* * *

 **Author's note: I am sure that you all know what is synonymous with France.**

 **So, what are your thoughts about the conversation with Dumbledore? Or the time with Hedwig? Or your thoughts about how the next chapter could be? Did you find ay remiss in logic or the flow of the chapter?**


	12. Sound of Silence

**The long awaited time skip is here in all its presumptuous glory and you will find it somewhere in the middle of the chapter. I won't be explaining the entire scenario but I sincerely hope that it clarifies the doubts you have been having like the direction where this story is heading, the pace at which the story continues, the way the memories affect Harry, the skepticism of the Potter family and by what time Harry would completely recover his memories.**

 **If it doesn't, you still have the reviews or PM's to rain your thoughts and views.**

 **Disclaimer: Snippets of the dreams that meander through the mind are the edges of the blade that cut through the fog that obscures the path to happiness.**

 **I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The white, translucent sand at her feet or the bright, luminous sun in the clouds or the cold, salty water from the immense ocean in the horizon could not shake her out of the reverie she was immersed in. The sadness that enveloped her could not be mitigated by the unresponsive nature that smothered her like a caressing mother. As the time flew by, uncaring of the eternal numbness that seeped through her bones, she could only feel herself diving deeper and deeper into the depths of depression.

Oh, how foolish she had been, hoping that she could elude the curse that plagued the Veela for centuries; The curse of loneliness. The gift of maturity that blessed the Veela with unmarred beauty was enveloped in a promise of misery and she was stupid enough to be deceived by the world around her; that it was merciful enough to listen to the woes of an innocent girl.

In the end, it didn't even take a few months for the realization to sink in that her ardent pursuit to evade the inevitable was about as futile as trying to embrace it. The people beside her slowly faded away into the background until she could only see her own family by her side and her pride would not allow her to seek the comfort of her friends on her own volition, for how could she when her inner insecurities were warning her that all efforts would be in vain.

She heard many times that beautiful people were generally the happiest. Every time she heard it, she would look at herself in the mirror and a rueful smile appeared on her lips. The irony never failed to amuse her. And now here she was, the proud and formidable Fleur Delacour, watching the unattainable horizon while the gentle waves lapped at her feet, on a chilly December morning, with no one by her side.

With an exhausted sigh, she stepped away from the captivating waves of the ocean and slumped onto the sand of the beach, disregarding the state of her pale blue robes. Then she reiterated the same routine of staring ahead, oblivious to the outside world but that did nothing to the anger swirling in her chest; she was furious of the circumstances that her life forced upon her at such a young age.

She grabbed a beach ball in her hands, struggling to squash it with her bare hands to quell her incipient anger, but when the ball did not acquiesce to her demands she threw it away in a rush of fitful annoyance.

* * *

Harry had no idea so as to why he fancied a stroll down the beach on this freezing December morning but by the time he doubted his abrupt decision, his feet already took him to the destination he had in his mind. The enormous ocean before him made feel so insignificant and trivial that he could not help but embrace the sense of normalcy that enveloped him as he stared at it.

Considering that he could never be normal, no matter how much he yearned for it, he would cherish this feeling for his entire stay at this mesmerizing place. The rising waves of the ocean beckoned him to dive into its unfathomable depths and play along with the exuberant children that the ocean produced each second. But a moment later his excitement would be hampered by the wretched realization that he could not swim to save his life. It was not a comforting epiphany.

But his musings were inconsiderately interrupted when out of nowhere, a beach ball hit his head and startled by this abrupt violence inflicted upon him, he fell onto the sand with a thump. "And I'm dead."

He sat back up, rubbing at the spot where the ball hit him to make sure that he did not have a bump forming on his head and then twisted in his place to search for the attacker. The person who threw the ball surely packed a mean punch. He surveyed the direction from which the ball approached for any presence of muscled males but he only a found a young girl staring at the ocean ahead and considering that not a lot of people visited the beach so early in the morning, he did not have many suspects to interrogate.

Once again, his gaze fell on the silver haired girl and he calmly picked up the multicolored ball before walking over to the unconcerned girl, with indignation etched across his features.

"Hello miss", he faked a smile as he approached her. "Seems like you lost your ball."

No response.

Harry blinked owlishly, tilting his head in confusion as he stared at the insensate girl. 'Maybe she doesn't understand English?' he reasoned but, that did not explain the lack of reaction.

He waved the ball in front of her, hoping that she wasn't blind and when she shifted her narrow-eyed gaze to him, he gestured towards the ball before pointing at her. She simply stared at him in a way that made him feel like a little ant scrambling for sugar cubes. It was not a good feeling. But let it never be said that Harry Potter was anything but tenacious.

He honestly had no intention of wheedling his way into her cold and uncaring heart but the way she blatantly ignored him made him unimaginably curious and when you consider the fact that he jumped all the way to France just to avoid people who had no other job but to gossip about little boys with a scar on their forehead, it was plainly obvious he would be intrigued by a girl who wouldn't even endeavor to glance at him.

And the shiny silver hair that glittered when showered by the rays of the sun made it even harder to ignore her. The reason behind his sudden fascination with shiny things involved dubious amounts of embarrassment, a botched potion and the oldest of his two sisters. It was never a good combination.

He hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether it would be rude to invade the privacy of a complete stranger but in a surge of childishness that he never completely eluded, he decided to go along with his curiosity. He gently placed the ball on the sand before taking a seat beside her and quietly studied the enigma before him, humming to himself as he did. It was purely his luck that patience was a trait that the girl possessed since her childhood, for if it had been any other person, Harry would have been neck deep in the sand by now.

But perseverance could only last so long, especially for a teen who had just matured, and she huffed in annoyance before twisting her head to glower at him. "What do you think you are doing?" she inquired in a french accent that by no means sounded friendly but he grinned at her.

"So, you do know English", he concluded as though he was immensely proud of his discovery but it seemed that his cheerful tone only added fuel to the fire. "The sign language would have become tiring after a little while", he explained hurriedly after her glare intensified.

"Are all the English people this infuriating in general or is it just you?"

Harry shrugged, mistaking the scorn in her voice for a question. "I never had much experience with people but knowing my history with first impressions, it's probably just me."

She shifted her stare to the ocean once again, ignoring the annoying boy beside her in favor of the calming waters. Harry waited patiently for a minute for her reply before he shifted uncomfortably as his boredom took rein of his body. "Why do you find the ocean so interesting?" Small talk never hurt anyone.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she willed herself to remain calm but it was slowly turning into an impossible task. "Because it doesn't constantly pester me with questions."

Even he could sense sarcasm when he stumbles upon one. But that did not dampen his morning spirits. "I merely find it odd that instead of blinding us to our burdens, the eternal ocean only presents them to us to confront the problems."

"If you know it then why did you come to this place this early in the morning?" she retorted without glancing at him.

"My problem is not something that could be dealt by confronting it", he answered at once, wishing that she could grasp that the fact that he was at least being honest. He would not deny that he hoped that she would lower her boundaries if he did it first. "In fact, I believe that confronting it is the worst way possible."

"Then do tell, what your _peculiar_ problem is?" she mocked but there was no contempt in her tone. In fact, she sounded resigned about the matter. 'Well, at least indifference is better than hate.'

"People", he informed and that brought her out of her stupor. She shifted her gaze to him, her eyes darting over his face as though she was searching for a veiled mystery. "I resent the inner nature of people; The one that makes them ignorant of the fact that the person you put on a pedestal is no different from you."

"Really?" For the first time that morning, he saw a spark dancing in her eyes and he had no idea of how he had ever missed it. Her appearance was no different from before but the eyes made it seem as though a stranger took the place of the morose girl. "What drives you to say that?"

He simply extended his hand, emulating a certain blond haired girl he met on his first outing. "Hello, I'm Harry Potter." Deep down, he sincerely wished that what his godfather said was true and the foreign people were not fanatics like the one in Britain. To be honest, he was unsure of what compelled him to act this way and that's not counting the fact that it might have made him seem like an arrogant toe-rag who boasted of his kindergarten exploits.

Her eyes did the familiar motion of darting to his forehead and he subdued the urge to hide his scar behind his hair. Though she seemed startled as the comprehension dawned upon her but unlike the people from his homeland, her eyes did not widen nor did she gasp or squeal like a school girl. He would deem it as an astounding success.

She shook his hand, her initial ire disappearing in the face of the unknown. "A pleasure. I'm Fleur. Fleur Delacour."

"I will make no requests to you to share your problems with me but I remember a saying by one of my...", he paused. 'How would I describe the other Harry?' "close friends. He is known to be extremely wise for his age."

He didn't know why he was acting mature all of a sudden but it was obvious that this approach seemed more feasible than irritating her with his oblivious comments. The fact that it seemed to be working was just an icing on the cake.

"There are two kinds of pain. The sort of pain that makes you strong and, the useless pain, that sort of pain that's only suffering. This world has no patience for useless things. As long you blame the world for your suffering, you will remain weak. Blame yourself and use your burdens as your stepping stones to rise."

She did not respond for another minute which led to a doubt forming in his mind that he might have gone too far with his casual talk but when she did reply, her voice was softer than the light breeze blowing around them. "I am sorry about my initial rudeness. I was not in the right state of mind."

"It was nothing", he waved his hands frantically, alarmed by the abrupt change in her demeanor. "I need to apologize too. You know, for bothering you even when it was clear that you wanted to be left alone."

"Do not concern yourself for that", she smiled wistfully. "Your behavior is pleasant when compared to the things I usually have to deal with."

"Huh?" he tilted his head with bafflement. If he was being honest with himself, he was sure that his behavior was anything but pleasant and the statement, 'usually deal with' was no less puzzling. "What do you mean?"

"What do you feel when you look at me?" she stared into his eyes – 'may be to make sure that I'm not lying' - and he racked his brain to accurately describe what he was feeling. Frankly speaking, there was not much to think about.

"Curious", he replied after a moment of thought and she furrowed her brows at his unique answer.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows at her reaction. 'Am I missing something in here?' "Don't you feel anything regarding my appearance?"

He blushed slightly at her blunt question, still trying to figure out what she was actually trying to imply. "You are pretty", he concurred, yielding under her steady gaze but that did not seem to satisfy her. "I like the silver hair too but that's probably due to my obsession with shiny things."

The fact that he divulged the little tidbit of info about him was the proof of how much embarrassed he was at the choice of topic and considering that he never dealt with such emotional matters with girls or with any person in general made it all the more surprising.

She mumbled under her breath, nodding to herself at certain intervals and he ruthlessly squashed the intense urge to interrupt her musings. "Do you know who Veela are?"

He nodded slightly, the realization hitting him like a bludger on a rainy day with that simple question. The topic was something he stumbled upon when he was studying the races of magical creatures that were almost extinct in Britain. The Veela were one of such races who migrated to other countries after the Pureblood dogmatism took hold of most of the wizarding families and half-breed creatures were being exterminated in most of the parts of Britain. France was one of such countries who took in most of the refugees with Ireland being a close second.

"So, you probably know what allure is, and what it does to other males", At his nod, she continued, in an emotionless tone which made him suspect that she was likely trying to suppress her feelings about the matter at hand. "Which means that either the allure doesn't affect the males who haven't matured or…" she waited for a moment, glancing him up and down which distinctly made himself aware of his own bedridden appearance, "you might swing the other way."

Harry choked on his breath as he registered the presumption and he blinked his eyes rapidly to get rid of the wetness in his eyes. That was rather unexpected. On a side note, mortifying might not be the worst way to define the situation. "That must be the most polite way to put it", he chuckled at her abashed expression. "Isn't there a middle ground for such things?"

"If anyone is completely resistant to allure, I've never seen them", she informed, her tone sliding back to its gloomy depths. "But well, I wouldn't deny the possibility, at least for your sake", she finished with an amused smile.

"You have no idea of how grateful I am", Harry went along with the joke, if only for the smile to persist on her lips. As a comfortable silence permeated their conversation, they reverted back to staring at the ocean but this time, the thoughts running through their minds were far too pleasant than what they were a few minutes ago. The lack of skepticism about his gender made the silence all the more desirable.

But slowly people began to fill the beach and the peaceful silence was shattered by the exuberant yells of children and the exasperated shouts of the adults. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she sighed as she glanced at the people around her and she could already see that some of the eyes were constantly shifting her way.

"Yes," Harry agreed, before adding in an uncertain tone, "Probably." He rose to his feet and extended a hand for her to seek support. Once they were back on their feet, they dusted the sand of their clothes before facing each other.

"Next time you throw a ball, it might not hit an annoying boy with a weird fascination for shiny things."

"Next time you annoy someone, they might not be patient or depressed enough to indulge you with small talk", she retorted as she crossed her hands across her chest.

"I will keep that in mind but I can't make any promises." Who was he kidding? There was no way in hell that he would stop himself from purposefully annoying someone. Judging by the shake of her head, even she could grasp that truth. "So I take it that this is where we part our ways?"

"It might be the depression talking but it was nice meeting you", she mumbled, not meeting his eyes and he perceived that might be the most she could reveal without letting her insecurities show. Well, in that case, he had to take matters into hand.

"I am staying in France for at least another week. We could meet again sometime", he suggested and at the lack of any reaction from her, he stammered. "If only you would like to, No pressure..."

"I would love to", she interrupted with a smile that put the morning sun above their heads to shame. It almost seemed as though her skin was glowing as she smiled and the twinkle in her eyes was no less captivating.

Taking advantage of her jovial mood, he accomplished the one thing that he was dying to achieve since the morning. He swiped at her silver hair, his eyes brightening as the glittering strands swayed in the wind and a childish grin made its way onto his face at the spectacle.

"Can I reevaluate my decision of meeting you again? I think I made the choice in a haste."

"Hey! Friends don't go back on their promises", he objected with a frown. "That's one of the basic rules."

She stilled at the word, 'Friend' but Harry was far too preoccupied with her silver hair to notice. "You have an elementary idea of the term, 'Friend'."

"I don't like making things unnecessarily complicated", he stepped back as a little girl ran in the space between them followed by her exhausted mother. "This simple way of life never failed me and I'm definitely not going to change it now."

She stared at him piercingly for a moment before declaring in a conclusive tone that left no room for argument. "You are weird."

Harry laughed at her statement as he ran a hand through his hair. "Considering how people usually describe me after meeting me for the first time, I could almost take it as a compliment."

* * *

 **August 31st, 1991**

'Time changes things'. Lily heard it so many times that she never had the reason to doubt the statement. But witnessing a change was not equivalent to comprehending the change. Sometimes the change could be so drastic that even an ignorant could sense it and sometimes, the change could be veiled behind a sense of normalcy, hiding in the background; prevalent but imperceptible.

Looking back upon things, she didn't even know when or how she had missed the blaring signs around her but by the time she perceived the shifting winds around her, the storm had surreptitiously swept her world in a flash. In a different perspective of observing things, it might have seemed to be inevitable, but to her, it was a rude awakening in the most debilitating way.

Now, she wished that she could have had the courage to confront things when there were simple; Not a complex web of strings like it was now.

She paused her reminiscing to gaze at Harry as he ambled through the Hallway before taking the steps that led to his room, without once glancing her way. It wasn't even a few months ago when the first thing he would do after entering the house was to start a racket and leave her to clean up things along the way but not before bestowing her with the crooked smile of his that never failed to melt her heart.

Now the constant smile on his face was a thing of the past.

Now that he put an end to his mischievousness, she could not help but pine for the innocence that was lost. And usually when she believed that she could ignore this change and continue as though nothing happened, his eyes act as a constant reminder that turning a blind eye was no longer an option.

Oh god, the eyes. She always believed that her emerald green eyes were the windows to her soul and it was no different with her eldest son. His eyes mirror the true emotion in his heart; Transparent and Undiluted.

A vivid radiant green like the color of a budding leaf meant that he was euphoric and the eerie killing curse green meant that he was furious. But at the moment, they were a dark ominous green, which meant that he was experiencing one prominent emotion: Unbearable sadness.

She had no idea of what had transpired during these eight months and, as far as she knew, there was nothing of importance he had experienced that would have put him through any anguish but the results do not support the facts. The transition was so subtle, like a ripple drifting across a calm pond, that she never suspected that the end result could be so conflicting.

The doubts she had about his extent of knowledge just after waking up from a coma nagged at her mind from time to time but she never had the courage – Gryffindor must be rolling in his grave – to address the issue with her son and now, he was far too distant to even approach for a casual talk. It doesn't mean that he stopped caring about the rest of family, no matter how contrasting it might seem.

In fact, it was the exact opposite.

The love he had for his family had intensified to an extent that in a crude way of describing it, she could almost consider it to be an obsession. The night of his birthday he had barged into her room with a terror-stricken face before engulfing her in a hug that knocked the breath out of her, before subjecting James to the same treatment. At their combined questioning stares, he merely shook his head before sleeping in between them for the rest of the night.

At that time, she ignored it to be a terrifying nightmare but from that day, he distanced himself from the rest of the family though his eyes constantly searched for their presence with a despairing expression on his face that she could not bear to glance at. It was as though he considered himself to be a bad omen for their happiness.

Though he could not completely ignore Evelyn considering that she usually spent the whole day with her brother, Lily must agree that he was fairly successful in his endeavor.

As far as she knew, he didn't even make any new friends since he met the French girl at the beach. She ruthlessly squashed a sarcastic stray thought concerning Harry, school and his peculiar habit of meeting girls at every place he visited. It was not the time to worry about the complaints she would inevitably receive from the parents of the girls in the Future. Who was she kidding? That thought keeps her awake at night. She fervently hoped that he would not turn out like James or god forbid, Sirius.

She knew that his playful nature or childish nature was not entirely lost but it was so deeply buried that she feared that it might never see the light of the day again. The chaos in the house had subsided since but that only made her realize that the sound of silence could be terrifying.

She sighed, blinking her eyes to get rid of the fatigue that clung to her since morning. Why was she even thinking about these depressing things right now?

Ah, right. He's leaving to Hogwarts tomorrow and that's the most frightening part of this whole ordeal.

* * *

Harry Potter, eleven years old, was not the type to remain depressed for an indefinite time but every time he tried to elude the sadness surrounding him, his mind only made it harder for him to achieve it.

After the chaotic but joyful two months, the new year of 1991 arrived with surprising but pleasant revelations; He no longer fainted with each flash of memory. But somehow, these memories brought an unprecedented shift in his personality and within a few months, the effect was so tangible that everybody around him began to notice the change.

It was merely a slight sadness at first, which was the consequence of a steady stream of depressing first-year memories of the other Harry but after a few days, he could perceive the disparities in his way of thinking when compared to the time after he woke up from the coma.

The inherent need for mischief was quelled by the foreign feeling of responsibility and as he matured from the memories of another, he realized that this change was not a choice for him. 'A man is, after all, nothing but a depiction of his experiences.'

Simple things no longer made him smile and as he perceived the emotions behind the memories, he realized that after all this time, the other Harry was not as invincible as he assumed. In fact, he was the most vulnerable of all.

The anger he suppressed, the hopes he buried, the suffering he endured…all of these which made him were veiled behind a mask of confidence and power; out of reach to the entire world but eternally present. It was truly sad that it took almost a year of memories for him to comprehend this truth. For being someone who hated being put up on a pedestal, he surely acted as a hypocrite by doing the same with the other Harry.

But he had to agree that distancing himself from his family to hide this secret was one of the most foolish things he had done during these few months, for he knew that pain of loneliness, but he was sure that wouldn't have been able to justify these abrupt changes.

That didn't really work, now did it?

The crumpled letter from Fleur, clenched in his fist was an actual proof of that fact.

" _You have changed."_

If a girl – whose acquaintance with him extended only to seven days and a dozen letters over the past few months – could discern this then it wasn't much of challenge for his family. Though the adults were being discreet about it, his siblings were certainly not. They did it their duty to inform him of the differences.

" _You do not smile often", "You easily get angry", "Don't be so sad all the time. You weren't like this",_ and the blunt one from Lisa, " _You are like a whole new person."_ He understood that she wouldn't mince words but this was taking honesty to a whole new level.

"What do you think, Hedwig?" He turned to the snowy white owl perched on the stand, minding her own business and entirely ignorant of his musings – when you have an owl as clever as Hedwig, it's only natural to him to seek advice at times. It certainly helped that her level of condescension to him had no boundaries and usually, he's torn between feeling proud or being utterly mortified - "Do you think I have changed?"

Hedwig shifted her amber eyed gaze from her feather to Harry and at her deadpan stare, Harry reevaluated his decision of seeking consolation from his ruthless familiar. It seemed like such a good idea at that time. Now, he didn't feel so sure.

As his pride slowly diminished with each passing moment, it appeared a though Hedwig took pity upon him and she answered with a resigned hoot that distinctly sounded like 'Well, of course, you did."

It was hard to be skeptical after that.

A knock on the door shook him out of his reverie and his father entered the room with a sheepish look on his face. Harry still had to determine whether the sheepish expression was just the default setting or if it was specifically dedicated to his presence. James was holding a transparent cloth in his hands and Harry couldn't suppress the dry wit bubbling up to the surface. "That's unequivocally the worst nightgown I had ever seen in my life."

"Don't be so judging", James reprimanded as he sat on the bed. "I went to great lengths to hide this from the sight of your mother."

"It's no wonder that she doesn't approve this cringe-worthy fashion sense." Harry had no idea so as to why he was being this annoying but something about the shimmering cloak made him feel vaguely perturbed and such closeness to its presence was not helping.

James mistook his fidgeting for apprehension and placed a hand in his clenched fist. "Do not worry. I fared no better the night before I had to go to Hogwarts. As far as I remember, I barely slept that night."

"From excitement or anxiety?"

James chuckled as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "A bit of both. I have waited for that day for so long but the realization that I had to leave my parents for six months had truly sunk in for the fist time that night. I was never the one for emotional outbursts but that morning I shocked your grandparents by rushing into their arms."

His father's eyes darkened at the thought of his grandparents and Harry subdued the urge to continue this line of conversation. This topic was barely breached and usually, his parents tiptoed whenever this discussion arose. As far as he gathered, his grandfather died after an attack on the Potter Manor by the Death Eaters but he had no idea of what had happened to his grandmother. Judging by the rarity of the utterance of her name in the House, Harry presumed that whatever that had happened on that fateful day, it wasn't pleasant.

"I hope that the situation tomorrow won't be as dreadful as I imagine", Harry relented after a minute, mirroring his father by running a hand through his hair with worry. He was sure that Evelyn did not comprehend the fact that he would be leaving for six freaking months and it was her reaction that he feared the most. The thought of smuggling her into Hogwarts did cross his mind more than once but the least case scenario where that would be a bad idea was if her presence distracted him from his academics and that was when he disregarded the fact that she wouldn't be allowed into the class in the first place.

He blamed this rush of insanity on the personality of other Harry. Who ever said that being partly deranged was amusing?

"I am not saying it won't be bad...To be honest, bad is the least convincing way of putting it", James agreed and ignored Harry's shout of 'Not helping' with practiced ease. After listening to Sirius's grumpy complaints every morning, James sort of developed an immunity to grouchy protests. Having an irritable friend did have its perks.

"But", James raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I am sure that everybody in this family is mature enough to understand that staying at home forever is not an option for you. I do agree that it is hard to swallow that by tomorrow afternoon, a seat at the table will be empty but with time….", James trailed off, knowing that despite his ardent assurances, they will sorely miss the presence of his son.

"So, what is this cloak for?" Harry gestured towards the shimmering cloak lying on the bed, hoping that it would serve as a good enough distraction to escape this gloomy atmosphere. James abruptly brightened at the mention of the cloak, holding it with reverence and Harry raised his eyebrows at the mile wide maniacal grin on his father's visage. The grin was solely reserved for the times when his father was either extremely excited or being immensely idiotic. Neither was a good sign.

"This is a family heirloom, passed down for generations to the Potter heir and it's enormously useful for free spirits like us", James boasted and winked mischievously at the term, 'free spirits'.

"That doesn't explain anything", Harry retorted and tried to grab the cloak but his father held it behind his back.

"Not now. Wait until I leave. I want this experience to be unique for you." The statement reminded Harry of the day when Sirius left a playboy magazine before vanishing from the room and his skepticism grew as he stared intently at the cloak. It was not another prank, was it? Well, a goodbye Prank certainly had its appeal.

Harry slumped his shoulders at that thought but suddenly his eyes widened as he recalled that the other Harry possessed a similar cloak which was gifted to him by Albus Dumbledore. An Invisibility Cloak. To the extent he recalled, the note did mention that it was his father's. Now that the surprise factor was extinguished, he did not feel so enthused and James quickly sensed this.

"Fine. Sulking doesn't suit you", James placed the cloak in his hands reluctantly and Harry savored the soft feeling of the fabric beneath his fingers. It felt weightless but the intimidating and oppressive aura surrounding compensated for it. It glittered as the moonlight reflected from the surface and fabric glided gently with the wind. It was truly one of a kind. "But do not shout out of surprise after you try it. You don't want to alert your mother. She was strictly against this idea", James warned but Harry was far too fascinated by the cloak in his hands to heed the warning.

They exchanged their 'good nights' after some small talk about the Houses and Quidditch at Hogwarts along with the promise of discussing more in the morning. Once the door shut after his father, Harry wasted no time in rushing to the mirror and donned the cloak with unbridled enthusiasm.

He grinned widely at the lack of reflection in the mirror but to his horror, a white fog slowly crept over the surroundings and within moments, he was lost in a blinding expanse of nothingness. Disoriented by the lack of color he twisted around but as far as the eye could see, there was nothing in sight. His six senses were inefficacious as there was nothing to touch, smell, hear, taste, feel or fathom. Nothingness; this was the best way to describe it.

He swiftly twisted on his heels when he sensed a presence behind him but in his haste, he lost his balance and landed on his back with a resounding thud. He heard a raspy chuckle which spread a chill through his spine and he slowly inched away from the presence.

"I have waited so long for your arrival, Harry Potter."

"Who are you?" he shouted to no one but he did receive a reply in return and it was something he would've never expected even in his wildest dreams.

"I bear no name but I frighten the sane. I am the epitome of inevitable and the pinnacle of destiny. I am the creator of the void and destroyer of worlds."

All coherent thought left his mind as cold realization washed over him and he whispered with icy breath. "Death."

* * *

 **Author's Note: No. I did not simply explain the eight months in a single paragraph. The next chapter provides some more insight into what had happened during this time period.**

 **I know that the plethora of questions running through your minds can be infuriating at times but if you can take the time to review, I will be more than happy to answer your queries through PM.**

 **I am not the one for lengthy Author notes so I will leave it at this. Take care until next time. :)**


	13. The Looking Glass

**As an apology for my late update, here is a long and interesting chapter. As usual, for any doubts or questions, review or PM me. I'm sure that there will be many by the end of the chapter. Or maybe not.**

 **I still abide by my nonlinear way of writing the story and if you get the feeling that some of the things are left unexplained then it simply means that they will present themselves at another point in the story.**

 **Disclaimer: The world is open for play. Don't stop imagining. The day that you do is the day that you die. I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"I bear no name but I frighten the sane. I am the epitome of inevitable and the pinnacle of destiny. I am the creator of the void and destroyer of worlds."

All coherent thought left his mind as cold realization washed over him and he whispered with icy breath. "Death."

It was not unlike drowning, Harry decided as he felt the sinister aura wash over him and his knees buckled under the strain of the otherworldly force. His breathing was shallow, as though the air itself was smothering his lungs and despite his ardent efforts, he could not suppress the gasp that echoed through his throat as an oppressive beast rammed at his senses.

The noise of his ragged breaths shifted to the background as the invisible entity before him rumbled. "Do not try to fight the power of Death, Wizard. Embrace it and there will be nothing in this world that can suppress your will."

Harry unclenched his fists as goosebumps trailed across his skin, his arms falling limp to his sides and with one huge gulp of air, he surrendered from the battle. It was good advice, he concurred as he felt the last remnants of the aura fade from his beleaguered senses and once again, to his unquenchable annoyance, his thoughts ran rampant despite the perilous situation he found himself in. If an encounter with Death itself could not be considered as _irrefutably_ life threatening, then he didn't know what could.

The blame entirely lied with his incorrigible father, he concluded after discerning the circumstances that led to this predicament _alt_ _hough_ it did cross his maniacal mind that no matter how devious their pranks could be, the marauders definitely could not cajole Death itself into being their accomplice in crime. It was disheartening, to say the least, that after months of effort on his part to mature, he still finds himself in such irritatingly unexpected situations. It certainly did not help that these _unforeseen_ events were usually harmful and _occasionally_ fatal.

"So...does this mean that I am officially dead?" Harry scrutinized the blinding white expanse for any sight of the unearthly being. It was a futile effort. Maybe he was not worthy of gazing upon the being? Myths did mention at times that deities were exceedingly proud beings.

Even with his skewed logic, he could comprehend that death does not simply visit random people on a whim. So, either he died _pitifully_ at the hands of an invisibility cloak or he succumbed to schizophrenia. He couldn't decide which he preferred more. 'Succumbed to Schizophrenia' did have a nice ring to it, though.

"It appears that the progress of your memory recovery is slower than I predicted", Death remarked from his right, in a detached gruff tone that he came to associate with the omnipotent being. It did not sound disappointed or concerned. Merely observant. "It does not bode well with the trails you will inevitably face in the near future but you always had such a _twisted camaraderie_ with fate that I find myself unconcerned about your survival."

Reassurance from Death itself that there would be no chance of him kicking the bucket in the near future should have mollified him. It didn't. Admittedly, he was more concerned regarding the familiarity with which the being was conversing with him. As though they were two childhood friends whose parts diverged as they grew up. In hindsight, such familiarity with a transcendental being, famous for ending our miserable lives, should have scared him out of his wits. Once again, _it didn't_.

"I know that my memory is not one to boast about but I'm sure I would've remembered if I had an acquaintance with such a magnificent and noteworthy being as Death." Let it never be said that Harry Potter couldn't flatter a deity to save his life.

"Flattery is unbecoming of you, Harry. If my memory serves me right, when we first met, you called me an 'infuriating bastard'", Death chuckled – at least that what's he inferred from the distinct sound of a thunder rumbling in the distance. Harry could not suppress the grimace that marred his face, due to the chuckle that sent an aggravating chill down his spine and the fact that the comment sounded like something he would _undoubtedly_ say.

But at that moment, a thought hit him like a lightning on a bright sunny day. 'Maybe he took me for the other Harry?' It does feel farfetched that Death would mistake between two identities but it's the only veritable explanation for all these assumptions the being was making. "I mean no disrespect but are you confusing me for another Harry Potter? You know, a boy with red hair and deranged mind…"

"Another Harry?" the being sounded vaguely amused. "There was never another Harry to being with, for it goes against all the laws of the universe. Two identical souls cannot exist in the same universe at the same time", Death gave a moment for the information to sink in. "The Harry you are witnessing in your memories is none other than you."

"But...", Harry objected but no words came out, as slowly, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "The Harry of this world never woke up from the coma, did he?"

He did not expect an answer for he already knew it. The startling epiphany was accompanied by a numbness that crawled through his bones, searing its way through his skin and enclosed him like the cocoon of a caterpillar. Faced with the answer to all the mysteries clinging to him during these ten months, he didn't feel accomplished or relieved, for along with the answer came the naked truth.

He was simply not ready to face the truth; 'not ready', Harry scoffed. 'It's just a kinder word for cowardice.'

"Then I'm merely an impostor who took the place of their son?" Harry mumbled, more to himself than to the being before him. "What right did I have to exploit the body of a dead boy? What right did I have to barge into their lives and burden them with my problems?"

His voice choked as the memories of the past few months flashed in front of eyes. Each moment filled with happiness was a stab to his heart. _He did not deserve this life. It was not his to live._ Each harsh revelation was heart wrenching but this pain was nothing compared to the debilitating realization that he was a stranger to the people he loved. "What right did I have to call them my _family?"_

Would they hate him for replacing their _own_ son? For not even giving them the _chance_ to mourn the loss of their child. He could not bear to look at their eyes filled with hatred. The same eyes which held him in a loving gaze. Would they even realize that he never meant to hurt them? That he would rather _die_ than causing pain to the people he loved.

"I won't pretend to understand the feelings of a human but if there is one thing that I have always admired about mortals is their capacity for love and hate", The gruff tone sounded distant, as though the being was reliving its past memories. "Whoever said that blood is what connects a family? Love and Hate are as vague as truth and lie. You are not obliged to love your family just as you are not compelled to hate a stranger."

"Who is family, if not the comrade who _bled_ for you in a battle? Who is a sibling, if not the friend who stood beside you in your _darkest_ times? Who is a soul mate, if not the person who accepts and loves you for who you are and never leaves your side through thick and thin?"

"The bonds you forge as you live your life are invaluable, Harry. Do not be fooled by the deceiving illusions created by the society. Your reality is shaped by your beliefs and as long as you have faith in yourself, you will not be bound by these illusions."

"But that does not change the fact that their son is dead", Harry whispered half-heartedly. He could not deny that he was still hanging onto the hope that everything would remain the same. As it always was. "How could I let a child be forgotten from the hearts of his own parents?"

"You cannot ensure the happiness of every person, let alone a dead one", Death assuaged in its unvarying monotone. It would've been a lot more comforting if the being at least put some emotion into its words but he felt that it was too much to ask for. Maybe it's the job requirement. After all, devouring souls was not exactly a pleasurable vocation. "The only way you can honor his death is by living his life to the fullest. Never let _your_ family feel the absence of your love, for it's no different from being dead. Wallowing in self-pity and distancing yourself from them is not the best way to display your affection."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Well, he did concur that it was one of the most foolish things he had done, didn't he? That decision seemed immensely logical at that time. "I was afraid that they might notice the changes in my behavior and that would've raised way too many questions, which I was not ready to answer. My paranoia was entirely justified."

"Distance only creates more doubts", Death chided and Harry had to suppress a wince. 'Why do I feel like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar?' "Of course, there is no doubt that you must need to confront your family in the future but that doesn't mean that secrecy is the only way to deal with it until then. Secrets do no lead to Salvation."

"If it alleviates your trepidation, I must say that your personality is far different from the boy I knew. You have changed into an entirely new person, Harry and I assure you, it's for the better. Your past has no control over what your future should be."

"Then why is it that I still bear an immense hatred for the world around me? Why is it that sometimes I feel that my anger knows no bounds? Why do I feel that someday my own pride will consume me?" Harry yelled, the words rushing out his mouth after confining them for so long.

He had suppressed these emotions for months, fearing his own sanity and buried them within the boundaries of his own mind. It would not do to let his family know that he was becoming a victim to his emotions. Not when everything was on the brink of collapse. Teetering on a thin thread. It felt good to finally lay his feelings out in the open; As though he released the breath he was holding for so long.

"Once I met a boy who feigned nonchalance and indifference for the world around him. He appeared content on the outside, as though the world was his oyster. But the moment his mask shattered, you could find the devil himself residing in his mind". It was obvious who the _boy_ was. "I still remember his declaration to this day. 'I'll burn the world to ashes if that's what it takes to achieve it.' Your anger couldn't hold a candle to the raging emotion I observed in his eyes at that moment."

Who would've guessed? Death's an awesome motivational speaker albeit an invisible one. With an annoying monotone. And a bone-chilling aura. To be honest, when you need pep talks from a being known for its love of despair, you just know that you've hit rock bottom. It was a humbling and humiliating realization.

"So when will I retain all of my memories?" It was not as though he just couldn't wait to remember his past. Far from it, actually. But it's better to be ready than to remain dawdling in the dark. "I'm currently at the end of my first year at Hogwarts."

"Time is an insignificant entity for eternal beings", Harry could picture the being shrugging as it spoke. "But I can tell that it will happen when the time is ripe and the tides are high."

'That doesn't answer anything', Harry wanted to retort but he was sure that Death was not a fan of dry wit. So he settled with, "At least any hints about the 'trials' I might face in the future?"

"I cannot and do not have the authority to intervene with the realms of fate", Death answered and Harry had to hold back an exhausted sigh. It appears that Death's skill repertoire was limited to devouring souls and giving motivational talks. "But heed this warning. Do not expect things to remain the same between the two worlds. The disparities are countless and if you rush into things armed with information from your past, you are destined to fail."

Harry nodded vehemently. He came across quite a few differences but if he inferred anything from the stern tone with which the being spoke, then it's that he had to expect quite a few startling surprises in the future. Instead of frightening the heck out of him, this thought inexplicably excited him. Insanity had its advantages.

But before he could fire some more questions, he felt the aura receding from his senses and he tilted his head in confusion. "Are you fading away?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot exist on the mortal plane for long and the only reason I was able to enter was because of the cloak", Death did not sound urgent so it probably meant that it was expecting this to happen. "Seek the legacy of the Peverells. They are the key to your destiny."

"When we meet again, I hope the circumstances will not be as dire as I imagine."

"Woah, you can't just bail out on me", Harry shouted, hoping that the being was still present. "You are leaving me more questions than answers."

"When the time comes, I have faith that you will make the right decision. After all, you were once the _Master of Death_."

"What?"

"Do not fret, Harry Potter. This will not be our conversation."

'Why do I get the feeling that I've heard it before?'

The surroundings reverted to their original night setting and he found himself standing in front of a mirror, wearing a feather light shimmering cloak. But the only reflection he could see in the spotless mirror was of the windows curtains swaying in the wind. At least this cloak still works.

But he did not feel any distinct wonder or fascination for its powers of perfect invisibility. If it could summon Death itself, then invisibility was child's play.

He reverently placed the cloak in his school trunk and collapsed on the bed from exhaustion. 'Sometimes, the reality is stranger than your imagination', Harry mused but he still could not believe what had happened.

He felt the intense desire to shake it off as a mere dream but then, it was so far fetched to consider it as anything but the truth. 'At least, dreams are believable'.

Everything made so much sense now, especially the peculiar incident when he went to buy his wand. He had been to Diagon Alley a few times but the wand store was a place he did not venture into, for even with his unrelenting curiosity, he knew for a fact the old man Ollivander was creepier than the crazy hags in Knockturn Alley. The milky translucent eyes that seemed to gaze into you soul was no less disturbing.

But then, it was inevitable that one day he would meet the eccentric wand maker.

* * *

"Ah, Harry Potter. I was hoping that I'd see you soon", A soft whisper emanated from behind them and Harry had to suppress a squeal that threatened to break out. A manly squeal was still a squeal after all and he was not intent on giving Sirius the pleasure to hold it over him for his entire life.

A familiar old man was standing before them, his silvery white eyes unblinking as he scrutinized the boy before him. Harry held his breath as he slowly inched towards his mother and to his relief, Ollivander shifted his gaze to the green eyed woman. "Mrs. Potter. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Serving you well, I hope?"

"It is, Mr. Ollivander", Lily replied with a smile. She seemed immune to the eccentricities of the wand maker and Harry had to envy the ease with which she adjusted to her surroundings.

Ollivander turned to the three other adults standing beside her but then he must have thought that repeating specifics of all of their wands must be tedious, for simply went by them to reach the wooden racks.

"Well, now. Let me see..." he pulled out a long tape with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"I'm right-handed", Harry informed as he eyed the tape curiously.

The tape flew from his hands and Harry jerked back in surprise but the tape halted a few inches from the tip of his nose before it started to measure on its own. After a few seconds, it lifelessly dropped down to the floor, during which Ollivander was flitting through the shelves of wands. Harry prodded the inanimate tape with his foot and squeaked in surprise when it twitched on the floor. He maturely ignored the snickers from Sirius.

"Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Harry wasted no time in grabbing the wand and gave it an exaggerated wave. The wand flew from his hand like a bullet before it embedded itself into a cardboard box on the floor. Harry blinked owlishly at the sight but Ollivander paid no heed to the wand and placed another one in his hand. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try..."

The moment he held the wand, another box blew into smithereens and Ollivander snatched the wand with haste. Another wand. And then another. And it went on until Harry thought that he must have tried all the varieties available and the wands on the table kept piling up until the whole stack was swaying on the table.

The rest of the adults stood behind him at a safe distance, grasping that bodily harm was a likely possibility if they stayed in front of him. Harry could not blame them, especially when smoke was rising from half of the places in the store and fire was still licking the soft wood on the walls. The wand boxes were cluttered on the floor, after an incident with a wand which left them suspended in the air until he released the hold on the wand. It was obviously cool and unarguably awesome, Harry reckoned, but Ollivander did not agree with his opinion. Considering that it was the old man's shop that he was demolishing, Harry was inclined to agree. The resigned sigh from his mother at his pout played no part in his decision.

But even with all the chaos and unintended destruction, Ollivander seemed unfazed. To be fair, the man appeared even more excited with each failure, mumbling to himself as he scuttled across the shop. Not for the first time, Harry secretly wondered if this man was a masochist. The queer smile on Ollivander's face only reaffirmed his assumption.

"I do not understand", Remus frowned as he spoke in a curious but exasperated tone. "Every wand is showing at least some results. For us, only our wands displayed any reaction to our attempts and that too no more than a few colorful sparks. Why is it that it seems like every wand is reacting to his magical core?"

"Did your research, eh?" Ollivander chuckled as he shuffled through the boxes. "I do stand by my principle that a wand chooses its wielder but it does not mean that the wand of another person does not produce any results for you. Though the results might not be what you desire."

"A dragon heartstring core can change its affiliation if it deems the wielder worthy while phoenix feather cores are extremely loyal to their wielders. Unicorn hair is a tricky one and no one can guess how it will behave for another wielder. But in the end, every wand produces a reaction if the magical core of the wielder is strong enough to subdue the will of the wand and it was said that the Dark Lord could perform exceptional magic of kind never witnessed with any wand in his hands."

"Generally, children who come to buy their wands for the first time have magical cores that are too small for any other wand to react to their core and only the wand which is attuned to their core can produce slight results."

Ollivander slowly walked towards Harry as he spoke until they were standing so close that their noses were almost touching. "But it seems like Mr. Potter here already has a magical core that can rival that of an adult and that raises some serious difficulties. Not entirely unexpected from the Boy who Lived."

Ollivander lifted a frail hand and gently poked the lightning bolt shaped scar with his index finger. Harry winced in pain as the scar burned at the place it was touched and stumbled backward before his mother caught him in a tender hold. She glared at the shopkeeper but Ollivander was too focused on the burn mark on his finger to notice her anger.

"Ah, please forgive my rudeness", Ollivander bowed a little as he glanced curiously at the emerald eyed boy. "Old age has done no wonders to my skewed sense of propriety."

Before Harry could retort, Ollivander placed another wand in his hand. The old man appeared to be barely reining in his curiosity as he presented the wand and Harry had to wonder what made it so special. As far as he remembered, the other Harry's wand was Holly and Phoenix feather but he just couldn't ask the shopkeeper for it. If that doesn't raise some serious doubts, then he doesn't know what could. "Unusual combination..."

Ah. Finally. Go on, Holly and Phoenix feather core. Eleven inches, nice and supple.

But to his mind-numbing astonishment, Ollivander spoke the words he would never guess even in his wildest dreams. "Yew and Phoenix feather. Thirteen and a half inches. Powerful wand. Very Powerful".

The moment he held the wand, warmth rushed through his fingers, tingling the nerve endings and he felt the power race through his frame until it reached the marble white wand. Flames rose from the tip of the wand, engulfing his entire body and the adults ducked to avoid the raging fires. The whirring flames reached the ceiling, seemingly unstoppable, before they abruptly vanished leaving the adults staring at the wand with barely restrained amazement.

Harry was oblivious to the stares from his family as his mind reeled at the unpredicted events which had occurred. He was wielding the wand of the Dark Lord! Unbidden, a memory rose to the front of his mind, of a pale man with snake-like slits for a nose, with terrifying red irises, pointing a marble white wand at the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

 _"You have failed, Dumbledore", Voldemort sneered at the calm visage of the warlock. "And now, your only hope lay at my feet, broken and barely alive."_

 _"Even after all these years, Tom, you still haven't learned that hope cannot be crushed by mere defeat", Dumbledore calmly sauntered over to the bleeding body of the Boy who Lived. "You are a fool if you believe that my hope lies in the power possessed by the boy."_

 _"You of all people should know that the Deathly Hallows are no mere powerful artifacts, Headmaster", Voldemort picked up the Elder wand from the hand of the unconscious boy and held it reverently. "In the end, your inability to see what's right in front of your eyes will become the reason for your downfall."_

 _Voldemort twirled his yew wand in his other hand and pointed it towards Harry. "My last spell with this wand will mark the end of an era. **Avada Kedavra**."_

Harry blinked his eyes rapidly to clear his mind of the vision and his stare met the piercing gaze of the shopkeeper. He dearly hoped that the old man did not notice his sudden bout of inattention but judging by the way the man was scrutinizing him, Harry knew that his hopes were in vain.

"Well, well, well...how curious...how very curious..."

It took great effort to not sigh out loud at the melodramatics of the old man but then he decided to indulge him and went along with the ruse. "What's curious?"

"I remember every wand I've made, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. But when a powerful phoenix bestowed me with two feathers, I just couldn't resist the temptation. I was ambitious, you see. To achieve something my ancestors have failed to do for centuries. I've attempted to make two completely similar wands. So similar that not even the wands could differentiate between themselves."

The occupants of the room held their breaths, enraptured by the tale. But then a sad, almost disappointed look crossed the visage of the shopkeeper.

"But I failed. So, I made just one wand with one of the feathers, Yew, thirteen and a half inches, which I sold to a charming young boy but fate had it that the boy would become the most feared Dark Lord in a century. A powerful wand but in the wrong hands. I was planning on using the second feather to make a holly and phoenix feather and believe me when I say that nothing pained me more than to abandon my dream. But then, one day, news reached me that a one-year-old child had vanquished the Dark Lord."

All eyes turned to Harry, who gazed around confusedly before smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. James squashed the urge to face-palm at the antics of his son. Only Harry would be embarrassed when people admire him for defeating the greatest Dark Lord ever born.

"When people all over Britain were celebrating the defeat of You-know-who, I was toiling in my workshop for my greatest project. You see, when the owner of a wand dies, the connection between the wand and the wielder is severed and thus the wand has no allegiance to any other person. I took me a month, which is a tremendous amount of time, considering that it usually takes me less than a day to make a wand. But after a month, before me lay a wand, exactly identical to that of the one wielded by You-know-who."

Absolute silence took over the shop as the occupants comprehended the mind boggling information. Not that Harry could blame them when he himself was speechless even though he already had second-hand source of information. But he worried over how his family would perceive this new info. Would they be scared of him too? Just because he had a wand similar to that of the Dark Lord?

"That's awesome", James broke the silence as he grinned at an apprehensive Harry. "How many people could say that they have a wand as powerful as that of Voldemort?"

"I'm actually jealous", Sirius gushed as he rocked on his heels. "It's totally unfair that you snatch a pretty French Veela and now, a powerful wand too."

"Don't be so crude", Lily smacked Sirius lightly over the head and ignored his mutterings as she turned to a blushing Harry. "So how do you like your new wand?"

These were the moments that reminded him of why he loved his family so much. It was obvious that though they had their misgivings, they would always support him, no matter the situation. He could deal with the unprecedented info afterward but now, reassuring his nervous family held more importance. "Just like dad said, It's awesome."

Lily smiled brightly before handing seven galleons to Ollivander, who inclined his head in a nod as a show of respect. It was obvious that he admired the way the family dealt with the precarious situation. Lily returned the nod and began to walk out of the shop but halted when she heard the voice of the shopkeeper. "Mr. Potter, a moment in private, if you please."

Harry glanced uncertainly at his mother, who nodded in approval. "Any problem, Mr. Ollivander?" he inquired as he reached the old man.

"With extraordinary results comes enormous risk", Ollivander sighed as he massaged his temples. "In the Future, there might come a time when your wand might not provide the results you expect, as though it is struggling for control. For power. When that time comes, do not hesitate to contact me."

'Does the wand maker know that Voldemort is still alive?' Harry furrowed his brows as he pondered over the warning. It's not impossible, considering that the old man appeared as though he knew more than he let on. "I will remember to do so, Mr. Ollivander. Thank you."

"That's all I ask of you, Mr. Potter", Ollivander bowed lightly before sauntering over to deal with the destruction caused by his interesting customer.

* * *

Harry twirled his yew wand between his fingers, a habit he retained from his previous life and it was no less disturbing to know that Voldemort had the same habit. He chalked it as another similarity between him and the Dark Lord. The fact that this list kept on growing did not mollify his distress.

But as the exhaustion crept upon his consciousness, he let his body succumb to the dreaded sleep, for the morning would mean that it was time for him to leave his humble abode.

When Lily came to wake him up that morning, she found him sprawled on the bed, his marble white hand clutched in his hand while his legs were left hanging on the side. She sighed at his uncomfortable position and placed his legs on the bed before deciding that she should let him sleep for some more time. The fact that he looked undeniably cute as he slept, with drool leaking from the edge of his mouth, played no part in her decision at all.

* * *

The air around the dining table was thick with tension and brimmed with awkwardness. In fact, the atmosphere was so uncomfortable that Harry was surprised that he was able to breathe, let alone eat breakfast. He glanced from one person to other, observing the minute shifts in their movements but it was unnecessary, for even an owl – _cough_ Hedwig _cough –_ could sense that their behavior was obviously different from usual.

James was pretending to read the newspaper while trying to steal subtle – which were nothing but – glances at Harry. Lily was constantly rubbing her palms as though the chillness of the air was eating away at her pale skin, when the fireplace was burning brightly just like any other day. Harry was relieved for once that Sirius and Remus chose to meet them at the platform.

Alex, who usually ravaged the food like a man starved for a year in a desert, was fiercely poking at the eggs on his plate with a fork, as though they had done him a great injustice. Lisa, who never shifted her gaze from her plate even if Voldemort himself was knocking at the door, was alternating between peering at him through her hair and engaging in a staring contest with the aforementioned plate.

Only Evelyn seemed unperturbed by the suffocating silence and well...Harry could not blame her. He was still trying to convey her in the most deceiving way possible that she would not catch any sight of him for the next three months. For anyone who thought that it's easy to convince a stubborn little girl that he was not joking about his imminent disappearance, he dare them to try.

* * *

"Eve, do you know what comes every three months before leaving again?"

Evelyn blinked at the abrupt question but thought for some time before answering. "The Seasons?"

If it had been any other situation, Harry would have been immensely proud of her intelligence. "No, Eve. It's your brother."

She giggled happily, thinking of it as a joke and the sound of his palm hitting his forehead was muffled by her amused claps.

* * *

"Do you know where every person will inevitably go?"

It didn't even take her a moment to answer. "Afterlife?"

Harry shook his head morosely. He was heartless to do this to a little girl. "It's Hogwarts, Eve."

Once again, he was cruelly ignored in favor of her dressing dolls.

* * *

The day after his birthday was when the letter came and Harry understood that it was time to cease his underhanded attempts of fooling his innocent sister. He nervously entered her room, which she shared with Lisa, and flopped down on the floor beside Evelyn.

"Eve", Harry called and she stared at him with those heartwarming blue eyes, a large toothy smile plastered on her adorable face. It physically pained him to let that smile fade away from her lips but he had to do it. "Do you remember the time we went to France?"

"Hmm", she nodded eagerly as she chewed on her hair and Harry did not have the heart to admonish her this time for her unhealthy habit. "Evelyn liked the place very much."

Sirius once told her that girls seem cute when they speak of themselves in the third person. From then on, whenever Harry was there, she conversed in that annoyingly cute way of hers. Sadly, Lily did not agree, something about corrupting innocent minds and Sirius was denied of breakfast in the house for a month. That did not seem like an apt punishment for an adult but Sirius wailed about the inhumanity for hours.

Damn. He was getting off the topic. "So...um, I am leaving... for another trip to a far away place. Alone". There, he said it. "Not now, of course..." God, why was it so hard? "But next month."

As a proof, he showed the Hogwarts letter, with his palms sweating as he handed over the letter to her. To his utter astonishment, she simply tore the letter in half before pouting. "Then, I'm coming too."

He was still staring wide eyed at the torn letter to perceive her declaration. He should have mentioned that the letter was extremely important before handing it over to an annoyingly stubborn and troublesome child.

It was only after an hour it hit him that he didn't even have a Hogwarts letter now.

* * *

Once, Breakfast was finished – Thank the mighty heavens for that miracle – James and Harry apparated to the platform, his shrunken trunk safe in his pocket. Hedwig, being the proud owl, decided that she would rather fly to Hogwarts than appearing like a common pet locked in a cage. It spoke volumes about his generosity and leniency, or that's what Harry would tell if someone asked him. 'Owls are scary as hell.'

The rest of the family floo'ed to the station, of course, for the sake of Evelyn. Troublesome or not, no child should experience the horrors of that wretched apparition. The station was already bustling with parents and, students who seemed none too eager to board the train at the moment. Harry could not blame them, for he was already dreading the event that was bound to occur.

They regrouped at a corner, away from the crowd and after a few moments, Sirius appeared with a huge grin on his face, with Remus in tow. "Is it just me or are all the ladies eyeing me up hungrily? Someone definitely missed their Breakfast this morning."

Harry briefly closed his eyes and promptly, Sirius howled when someone hit him on the shin. Hard. "Can you at least pretend to be decent?"

Sirius opened his mouth to retort but Lily cut him off with a glare. Harry took this opportunity to unclench his fists from their tight grip and ran a hand through his heterochromatic hair. The red of his hair did not vanish even after a few months and Harry resigned himself to the fact that bizarreness was another unavoidable trait of his.

"So, I think this the part where I raise a racket about not going to school and you guys try to placate me while listing the merits of education", Harry stared at his feet before meeting the eyes of his father. "But that's not going to happen, is it?"

James shook his head, with a wistful smile on his rarely serious expression. Harry nodded slowly, once again dropping his gaze to the ground and for once, even Sirius did not try to crack a joke about the situation. "It's still too quick."

"Oh, Harry", Lily immediately hugged him while rubbing soothing circles on his back but his fists remained clenched at his sides. "I know, baby. I know. And we understand."

He was a fool to think that he could easily manage this conversation and leave the things on a happy note while his family waved happily as the train hurried down the rails. There was nothing good about goodbyes. Tears were as inevitable as clouds on a rainy day.

Lily stepped back to allow James who ruffled his hair before engulfing him in another hug. "Remember when I say that I had never been happier in my entire life than I was during the last ten months. And I am saying this on behalf of the entire family."

Harry nodded against his father's robe. "So, if we are allowing you to stay away from us for three months, then it means that the reason is that much important. Enjoy this experience as much as you can to compensate for this pain."

James released the hold and held him at arms distance. "Of course, if you remember half of our exploits as students, you will obviously try to follow the footsteps of the legends."

"I second that", Sirius added from the side and looked questioningly at Remus, who reluctantly raised his hand. "What they said".

Harry chuckled lightly before facing his brother, who was red-faced from trying to abate the tears. "You always try way too hard." The tears were a surprise but Harry never considered Alex to be a normal seven-year-old, so his surprise was justified.

This time, Harry initiated the hug and Alex loosened all his inhibitions as he rushed into his arms. Harry stumbled back from the force of the hug but steadied himself at the last moment. "I've learned it from my brother."

"Seems like your brother is a cool guy."

"Pfft. As if."

They nodded at each other in a manly – Totally Alex's idea – way of conveying goodbye. Not that he's saying it's not cool.

But, Harry was frankly not surprised to see that Lisa was not crying like Alex. She was always the mature one in the family and he was sure that she was secretly jealous that he was going to school while she had to stay at home for another two years. Once again, he was the one who initiated the hug, for he was certain that she wouldn't be caught dead trying to display any emotional gesture.

"If I hear that you are not the best in your year at potions, I would be seriously displeased", Lisa punched him in the stomach for good measure.

"Your concerns are duly noted, Professor Potter", Harry ducked another swing and patted her on the head. She _hated_ it when someone patted her on the head.

But unlike other times, she did not retaliate. "I'll miss you", she mumbled softly.

He smiled gently at her and patted her on the head once again. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to be idolized.

Sirius made no move for a hug but crossed his arms across his chest. "Say that your godfather is awesome."

Harry rolled his eyes so hard that he feared they might hang out of his sockets. But inwardly, he knew that Sirius was trying to make this as comfortable as possible. And to be honest, his godfather was totally awesome. "My godfather is awesome", Harry agreed with mirth flashing in his eyes.

Sirius grinned before nodding sagely with his eyes closed. "I have nothing more to teach you, my faithful disciple."

"Of course. That's why I'm going to school."

"Your words hurt me more that you can imagine."

"Obviously. That was the intention."

Sirius stepped closer, his grin diminishing into a more heartfelt smile. "Thank you for making this man realize what it feels like to be a father", Sirius whispered before stepping back with his grin back in place. "Though it's mainly because I can be the father – in – law of two pretty girls."

Harry stomped on Sirius' foot as he walked over to Remus but in Harry's opinion, Sirius's words gave him the right to tease Harry for his entire life. Though it'll be a cold day in Hell before he would admit it.

"You better become a Hogwarts professor before I graduate, Remus". They settled on shaking hands as Remus was still holding Evelyn. "If not I'll fail purposely just to wait until you get the courage to do so."

"Lily will be after my head if I am responsible for your bad grades", Remus shuddered as he imagined her reaction. These were the times when he cursed his extensive imagination.

"I know", Harry smiled sweetly before turning to face the most fearsome challenge in his entire life.

Evelyn eagerly jumped into his arms and placed her arms around his neck. "Let's go."

Harry sighed as he ran the other hand through his hair. "You cannot come along, Eve."

Eve blinked at him, perplexed by his words. "But you said you are going to take me with you."

 _I definitely did not say that._ But he settled on, "I want to. Believe me, I _really_ want to", he stressed upon this fact before dropping the bombshell. "But they don't allow it, Eve. You have to wait until you are Eleven."

She still seemed adamant about coming with him and he had to make her understand. It was the least he could do. "I am leaving, Eve. And you _cannot_ stay with me."

For one frightening moment, sorrow washed over her face and Harry's heart clenched painfully. "At least you will read stories to me every night?" Her voice was so low that he almost didn't hear it.

He was dreading this moment for months. This single second in the plane of time. This moment where his world was swaying on the edge of the horizon, waiting for the cracks to appear. "I am sorry."

" _I am sorry_ ", he iterated, utilizing his last ounce of courage to look straight into her blue eyes. "But I won't be returning home for three months."

She remained motionless. For a moment, he believed that she still couldn't comprehend the gravity of the situation but when he saw the first tear drop fall on the pale white of her cheeks, he knew that he had failed. Failed with the one person who mattered the most to him.

"Please, Don't cry", Harry choked, his hands shaking as the tears slowly flowed down her face. He lifted his trembling hand to wipe the tears but ceased his motion at the last moment.

He wished that she would say something. Hit him. Bite him. Even _curse_ him. But when she spoke, she whispered the one statement that shattered his heart to pieces. " _In the end, even you are leaving me."_

He gasped at the pain behind her voice, his eyes widening and a splash of water on his hand let him know that even he was crying, but, that did not matter at the moment.

He hastily wiped away his tears before placing Eve in the waiting arms of his mother. "Harry...", his mother began but he waved his hands frantically in front of him.

"I'm fine", he croaked through the tears before turning away from them.

"I think it's time to board the Train. You guys can go home", his voice was devoid of any emotion and Lily was reminded of the day of his birthday; The day she truly noticed the change in his personality. " _Please_ ", he turned his head to glance at the little girl in her hands for one last time before walking forward. "Don't let her cry."

* * *

Harry strolled down the corridor of the train, with an inherent numbness seeping into his veins and he paid no mind to his surroundings until he reached an empty cabin. He collapsed at the end of the seat, gazing out of the window to stare at the corner where his family previously stood. It was glaringly empty. 'That's good'.

He leaned his head onto the sideboard, closing his eyes and let the numbness crawl further down his body. It was the only way he could cope up with this unbearable pain. He could feel the control slipping, the sanity leaving its confines as he let his thoughts loose for the first time since he knew of his past. It was relieving to dispel his deep rooted insecurities and not merely a little dangerous but at the moment, he was far too lost to care about his meager anxieties. When he opened his eyes after a few seconds, a deranged smile was playing on his lips. "Time to make things interesting."

He jumped to his feet, pushing back his hair out of his eyes and stormed out of the cabin like a man possessed. It was mostly people reacquainting with their friends, first years chatting up with new people and some third years playing with a spider. It was almost at the end that he found a blond haired girl sneering at a bushy brown haired girl with buck teeth, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. The face of the blond haired girl was not visible but he could recognize the bushy hair of Hermione Granger on any normal day.

"Am I interrupting?" he smiled at Hermione who tilted her head in confusion while the blond-haired girl turned to face him. If not for the ugly sneer on her pretty lips, Harry would have considered the girl to be pretty with her pale skin, styled hair and smoky gray eyes. Well, you can't have everything. 'Unless you are Daphne Greengrass', his mind objected. 'Or a French Veela.' He agreed, for you just couldn't argue with your mind if you don't want to be deemed as insane. Well, slightly more insane.

"Yes", the blond girl narrowed her eyes and he was distinctly reminded of a slick-haired blond idiot. God, no. Now was not the time to think of that annoyance. "And for that matter, who are you?"

The condescension was palpable and an involuntary smirk appeared on his lips. "I thought that it's basic courtesy to introduce yourselves before demanding a name", his smirk grew wider, "especially for a Pureblood bi..witch."

She did not notice the slip as she flushed deeply before straightening herself. "I'm Celine Malfoy", she lifted up her chin at her family name but Harry was far too out of it notice. She could have slapped him on the face for all he cared. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

Oh. My. God. This was actually happening. ' _Malfoy is a girl!_ ' His mind was somersaulting in his skull and Harry had to leave it behind to respond to the question of the girl. Girl! He still can't believe it.

"I'm Hadrian Evans", he bowed as he kissed the back of her hand. "And the _pleasure_ is mine."

She blushed as she retrieved her hand, shifting on her feet as she stared at him. "Evans? I've never heard of the name in the Pureblood genealogy."

"I'm a half-blood", he replied and her lips scrunched up in distaste for a moment. 'These Malfoy' never change even in a different Universe', Harry sighed inwardly. "So, I am slightly aware of the Pureblood traditions."

"I guess you are tolerable", She nodded to herself and Harry's eyebrows hit the roof of the train. ' _Tolerable?_ ' "The mudbloods are always the worst."

"Different sides of the spectrum", Harry shrugged as he shifted his gaze to the girl who was watching them with barely restrained curiosity. 'Leave to Hermione to feel curious when getting bullied.' "It simply depends on which side you look from."

"What do you mean?" she frowned, obviously failing to comprehend the veiled insult.

He stepped forward, nearly invading her private space before looking down at her. Sometimes, he simply couldn't resist tugging at the fragile threads. "I am saying that..."

He was rudely interrupted by a snobbish voice that seemed to be on the tip of breaking. "What are you doing with my betrothed, you stupid mongrel?"

Harry twisted his head to glance at a boy who had the genetic characteristics of a Black, with his curly sleek black hair, gray eyes, and a sharp jaw. He would've chalked him up as an illegitimate son of Sirius if not for the blind arrogance on his face. Sirius would take a vow of chastity before he would act like an arrogant Pureblood. In layman terms, It was simply impossible and utterly inconceivable.

"How amusing", Harry rubbed at his chin as though trying to solve a particularly stubborn problem. "Do you believe that your tone is intimidating or your actions honorable? I merely find a boy, writhing in jealousy as he doubted the girl he was bound to marry. Displeasing, to say the least."

His words had the intended effect on the blond girl as she scowled at her bewildered betrothed. "I can take care of myself, _Black."_

The scorn with which she uttered his name was less shocking than the name itself. _Black?_ Sirius really did go beyond his expectations with this one. And definitely not in a good way. Looking at the two snobbish Purebloods, Harry was certain that this was a match made in heaven.

"You distrust my intentions at the word of a _boy_ you just met?" Black scoffed as he glowered at Harry. "Your actions speak of the lack of esteem you hold for our Pureblood traditions."

"Just because you are her betrothed, you actually believe that you can control her actions and thereby, her _life_ in general?", Harry mock gasped as he shook his head. "I'm truly afraid to think of how you will behave in the future if _this_ is the devotion you possess for the girl you are to marry."

"This is preposterous!" Black shouted, his hands shaking in rage and the next moment, Harry was standing on the sharp end of a wand.

'Oh, this is golden', Harry thought in glee as he stared at the enraged wizard. 'This little detour turned out to be much more intriguing than I had imagined.'

But before, he could carry on with his wicked plan of utterly humiliating the boy, another voice interrupted the ongoing argument. "Arcturus, What trouble did you stir up this time?"

God, why was everyone so intent on interrupting his fun today?.

"Nothing that concerns you, _Brother."_

Once again, the word, 'brother', was uttered with such hatred that Harry had a hard time believing that they could actually be brothers. But his thoughts halted in their tracks as his gaze fell upon the aforementioned brother.

There stood his best friend in his previous life, looking downright bored as he stared at his foolish brother, who never failed to get on his nerves.

'Why out of all the people in freaking Britain, I had to get this imbecile as my step brother?' Blaise lamented as he shifted his gaze to the green eyed boy, who was staring at him with such intensity that Blaise had to blink to make sure that he was not hallucinating.

Harry was sure that Death was laughing his ass off at his predicament. Not that Harry could blame the being. This might be more than what he had bargained for, but, this only made the game all the more interesting. _"The game is on."_

* * *

 **Author's Note: If you feel that the emotional scenes are overly done, which I honestly wish that you don't, then I remind you that we are talking about a boy who stayed with his family for only ten months. More than enough time to get attached but far less time to leave.**

 **About the Evelyn part, she is a little girl who believed with all her little heart that she found the person who will never leave her side. She is a five-year-old kid, people. Cut her some slack.**

 **Though there are other impractical ways of communication like owls and two-way mirrors. I consider them to be just that. Impractical. Empathy cannot be achieved through objects.**

 **Figure out the Black I am talking about. It's way too easy people.**


	14. A Horde of Secrets

**Hadrian Evans. He used his mother's maiden name for two reasons.**

 **1\. To remain Anonymous. And Merlin knows that it is not possible when you are Harry freaking Potter. He is already ridiculously famous in the canon and now, considering the mystery surrounding him, he'll be even more so.**

 **2\. When interacting with strangers, it's good to have an ace up your sleeve and you can know the true character of a person when you mean nothing to the said person. True Story.**

 **Disclaimer: Assumptions are the bane of intelligence and Hypocrisy is the death of Equality. Preconceptions rule this world with an iron fist and when all is lost, your own unwavering beliefs will raze your reality to oblivion.**

* * *

There exists a perplexing normalcy in this world. The state where all the forces of nature unite to quell the chaos and induce an order that deceives the people into an illusion of serenity. It's counter-intuitive to believe that this equilibrium will forever remain but one cannot argue that it entices an individual and lulls his senses into a perpetual repose. This is the state which the greatest minds of this world try to constantly achieve but consistently fail to do so, for this peace is not in the hands of the mortals to command.

 _Fate_. The entity singly responsible for this peculiar predicament.

But the current situation in the Hogwarts Express was anything but this abstract depiction of serenity.

The wand pointed at him with an intention to severely harm his body was a minor threat compared to the chestnut eyes scrutinizing him with veiled curiosity. Harry reckoned that the stare was devoid of the intensity that Blaise usually possessed but it was no less piercing.

Blaise Black.

Considering that Blaise would have no passion for the power or influence he desperately sought in the previous lifetime, for he was now a member of the famed Black family, Harry supposed that this Blaise would naturally lack the enthusiasm to achieve greatness and thereby, power.

It was disheartening, to say the least.

An unambitious Blaise would mean a boring Blaise. Harry had no patience for boring things.

It meant that either he had to search for a new best friend in this lifetime or he had to inculcate a desire for chaos into Blaise.

Both were such tedious responsibilities but you couldn't accomplish anything in life without any effort. This was one of such cases where you rush blindly into the night and hope that everything would work out for the best. At least, this uncertainty was appealing.

Lost in his own ocean of outlandish thoughts, he did not hear the argument that ensued between the two Black brothers until he noticed the Malfoy girl move from behind him to pacify her betrothed before the fight escalated.

"Stop making a fool out of yourself, and for the last time, put the goddamned wand in your pocket", Blaise gritted his teeth as he strove to restrain his growing annoyance before he could snap. Even with the emotions raging inside him, Blaise was the picture of tranquility and not for the first time, Harry thought that his friend was too proficient at this for his own good.

"I agree with your dear brother, Arcty", Harry nodded mockingly as he patted the boy on the shoulder. "You should really stop making a fool out of yourself."

That seemed to be the breaking point for the Black heir and he fired a spell before Blaise could make any attempts at restraining his brother. "Diffindo."

If it had been ay other situation, Harry would have batted away the pathetic spell but he was standing in a Train cabin surrounded by people and there was no telling who the spell would hit if he deflected it. So, with a flick of his wrist, he summoned his wand and deflected the spell to the metallic roof of the cabin with a wave of his hand.

The four people blinked in surprise and he heard an amazed gasp from behind him, courtesy of Hermione, but his relaxed posture and the loose grip he had on his pale wand belied his skill maneuver. Even though a playful smile still adorned his lips, the thoughts running behind his amused visage were anything but.

At first glance, Harry chalked up the Black heir to be this universe's version of Draco Malfoy – with the obnoxious words rushing out his mouth and the prideful gaze, it was not a mind boggling deduction – but it appears that his words were definitely backed up by some skill. After all, Diffindo was a spell taught in the second year and though the power behind the spell was surely lacking, the execution was no laughing matter.

Though the Black family name warranted the proficiency at offensive spells, proper training was indubitably required to grasp the technique and this once again the brought up the question about his parentage. A question to which no matter how much he racked his mind, he was unable to reach a satisfactory conclusion since he was certain that even in his previous life, he did not encounter any Black heirs in his first year.

Blaise narrowed his eyes at the green eyed boy, unnerved by the smile that hid the true nature of this mysterious wizard but he was more concerned about the skill that backed the wizard's confidence. Blaise considered himself to be moderately skilled at observing people and that becomes a necessity when you were the adopted son of a man who prided himself for his secrets.

If there was one thing that Blaise could undoubtedly say about his father, it was that the man was a horde of secrets disguised as a puzzle. Living with the man for seven years now, Blaise could honestly proclaim that never in his life did he meet a person as dangerous as _Regulus Arcturus Black._ Not even his closest acquaintances – Blaise was sure that his father did not consider anybody to be his friend. The concept of friends goes entirely against his way of life – could predict his father's intentions and Blaise was certain that he was not the only person whom his father drives nuts with his ever present all-knowing smile.

Observing the boy before him, Blaise was disconcerted to realize that this green eyed boy reminded him of his terrifying father and that was what worried him the most. _Because his father was surely a man to look up to but not a man to grow into._

Abruptly, a tomboyish voice of a girl shook him out of his self-induced stupor and Blaise glanced back to notice a pink haired girl donned in a bastardized version of a muggle attire that was a bit too revealing to be modest. 'This is slowly turning into a circus', Blaise sighed inwardly.

"What are you brats doin' here?" the pink-haired girl tapped her foot as she crossed her hands across her bountiful chest. If he wasn't trained in the art of Occlumency, Blaise was sure that his mind would have been swimming in the gutter by now. "It's too early to cause a ruckus."

"Making new friends", Harry bounced on his feet as he replied and Blaise had to struggle to quell the surprise from showing on his face. 'Is he bipolar?'

His brother was openly staring in shock and Malfoy was faring no better as they witnessed this new side of the mysterious boy but Blaise decided with great reluctance that he could not blame his brother for his uncouth behavior in this case. Such contrasting personalities were not something you usually witness, even in the wizarding world.

"It certainly doesn't look like it", the girl retorted as she eyed the wand in his brother's hand and Blaise had to suppress the urge to face-palm at this display of idiocy. Not that it was unexpected but it certainly doesn't make it any easier.

"We were practicing spells", Harry informed as he placed his arm on Arcturus's shoulder, "and Arcty here was being extremely enthusiastic about showing off his skills."

"I was not!" Arcturus yelled as he dislodged the arm from his shoulder before dusting his uniform, something which resulted in raised eyebrows from the pink haired girl but she said nothing and merely settled on rolling her eyes at the behavior.

"I don't care what you were doing before but now that I'm here, put an end to whatever immature little spat you are having and scuttle over to your cabins". Her voice gave no room for argument and Blaise shrugged nonchalantly as if saying, 'I don't mind.'

"And who are you to order us around?" Arcturus scoffed but wisely returned his wand to his pocket.

"I am a sixth-year prefect", she flashed her gold colored prefect badge before poking the Black heir on the forehead, "and you are an ickle first year who is about to get a detention before you even reach the school."

Arcturus looked like he was about to protest but in a surprising display of common sense, he stepped by her with a sneer on his pale visage. Blaise calmly ignored the hate-filled glare sent his way and the passing comment of 'This is not over' from his brother, not that this was the first time it happened and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Celine Malfoy glanced around for a moment before deciding that it would be prudent to follow her betrothed and rushed over to him but not before stealing one last glance at the green eyed boy. Harry replied with a lazy wave of his hand and a cheeky smile which grew into a grin when she hastened her steps at his smile.

Blaise observed this with feigned indifference until the green-eyed boy shifted his gaze to him. "You're not going to follow your brother?"

"I can only bear his presence for so long", Blaise replied with another shrug. "Anyway, I was sitting in a different cabin so that's another excuse."

His reply was met with a chuckle before Harry turned to the shy girl standing behind him. "Want to join us?"

"I am already settled in another compartment with some of the Gryffindor seniors", Hermione informed with a hesitant smile, as though she couldn't decide whether to be happy at his offer or sad that she couldn't accept and that smile only dimmed as she spoke. "I was about to return to my cabin when I met with that _girl._ "

If Harry was unsure whether the conversation that occurred before his appearance was amicable or not, her reply was enough to settle his doubts and he released a sigh. "Do not mind her words. Not everyone in the wizarding world is as biased as some of the Purebloods. Most of them are, what they say, ' _tolerable'._ "

Hermione giggled at his vague imitation of Malfoy and Harry grinned in spite of himself. It was a good thing that Hermione was already making friends and was acting a bit less strait-laced than how she was in the previous timeline. "How did you deflect his spell so easily? I am still struggling with some of the first-year spells at the end of our spell book. Oh, everybody in here must be so advanced already and I will be lagging behind at school. I knew I should have studied more during the holidays but nobody in my family knows magic and I just thought..."

"Woah, slow down Miss", Harry interrupted before she could go on with her rant and Merlin knows that it's impossible to stop her once she sets off. "The spell was clearly underpowered so it was not that hard and the only thing that matters when deflecting a spell is accuracy which can be obtained by anyone after some practice. Spells at the end of the first-year book? Honestly, you are leagues ahead of almost everyone in our year and hell will freeze over before you of all people lag behind. Studying over holidays? Who even does that these days?"

It was slightly manipulative and hypocritical of him but Hermione would probably be depressed over this for at least a month and that will lead to another bout of bullying and ostracism from her to-be house. Not the things to look forward to after entering the biased wizarding world for the first time.

"Oh. I was just a little", ' _'_ _just a little'_ was hugely undermining it', "worried", Hermione flushed, though it was evident that his passionate monolog did not quash her decision to work harder. "So, um...", she hesitated for a moment, as though she couldn't decide whether she could say it or not. "I'll meet you guys later?"

"Of course", Harry agreed and Blaise inclined his head, albeit reluctantly. Not that Harry could blame him. He just didn't possess same knowledge that Harry does to perceive that this girl is the brightest witch of this age. "But I did not catch you name before..."

"Oh, how rude of me!" Hermione gasped with her hands placed over her mouth before extending her right hand. "I am Hermione. Hermione Granger."

Harry took her hand and turned it over before placing a soft kiss on her back of her hand. "Nice to meet you, Hermione. I am Hadrian Evans"

Hermione blushed shyly, seeming ever bit like a cat caught in a corner, obviously not expecting what he just did and simply nodded absentmindedly in return. Blaise subjected her to the same treatment but his amusement over her reaction faded as Blaise introduced himself. "Blaise Zabini. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Zabini? Seems like Hermione had the same thought in mind but in a plain act of being not- Hermione, she did not question him. Either she was still disoriented from their greetings or she was apprehensive to intrude into his privacy. Probably both, he concluded after glancing at her still flushed expression.

With a hasty farewell, Hermione scurried off to her cabin while muttering incoherently to herself, leaving Harry with a bored first-year boy and a pink haired sixth-year prefect. The Prefect was leaning idly against the door of a cabin while chewing a gum and at his half-lidded stare, she rose unenthusiastically from her comfortable position. "Done with your pleasantries, pretty boy?"

"I aim to please", Harry begrudgingly curbed the impulse to retort at her 'pretty boy' remark but his bleeding hand could be considered as another reason for his unusual silence. Her gaze darted to his hand when he strove to swab the wound with the fabric of his shirt but ultimately failed to do so as the blood steadily dripped from the shallow cut, unimpeded the thin cloth.

"What happened to your hand?" she took his hand into hers and inspected it with a worried gaze. Harry struggled to free his hand from the confines of her tickling fingers but his endeavor was futile as she mistook the jerky movements of his hand as painful twitches.

"An imperfect execution", Harry answered with a contented sigh when she released her grip on his palm. "Nothing that warrants your concern."

"You are bleeding", she deadpanned but calmly took out her wand. "If that doesn't worry someone, then I don't know what does."

"No experimenting on patients!" Harry yelled, flailing his hands in a clear negative sign, when she pointed her wand at the wound but she ignored his incessant complaints with as ease that came with being a prefect in a school brimmed with annoying teenagers.

"Episkey!"

The wound slowly mended leaving an uneven scar tissue in its wake and as a boy who constantly finds himself in perilous and harmful situations, Harry was positive that the healing he was subjected to was mediocre at best. "You are not very good at this, are you?"

"Absolutely not", she agreed with a sigh. "But I don't see you having any other options."

Harry could only shrug at that reasoning.

After an indefinite amount of time spent on fussing over the minor injury, Harry began his dull stroll to his cabin at the far end of the train, with a grateful wave to the pink haired Prefect. Blaise walked along with him, probably because his cabin was in the same direction but what he couldn't understand was why the Prefect was trailing behind them.

"Not that I'm unhappy but any reason why you are accompanying us?"

"Someone needs to make sure that you boys do not stir up any more trouble", the Prefect answered simply, as though that explained everything. Knowing him, it probably did. "And at the moment, I am not eager to return back to my compartment."

"Any particular reason?" Harry prodded further, after concluding that their other companion would not make any attempts at conversation. That would be one awkward stroll, then.

"I do not want to scar your young impressionable minds", she replied with a wink, a full blown grin visible on her face. It was hard to believe that she's an authority figure with that attire and actions of hers but that only meant that she had some other remarkable redeeming qualities.

"Huh", was his only reply.

The clamor in the other compartments distinctly reached his ears as they walked, along with a few pointed fingers and not so subtle whispers. It was hard to determine whether they were due to his eccentric female companion or his unusual hetero-chromatic hair or his other taciturn companion but he was certain that their queer group was the topic of interest in several cabins. The Pprefect took all of it in stride, overtly winking at some of the boys peeking through the doors, leaving madly blushing boys in her wake. Harry only hoped that he would not turn into a blushing fool at a simple glance, once he grew up to appreciate the beauty of the females.

It did not take them long to reach the end of the train and he was surprised to notice that was Blaise still standing by his side. "This is your compartment?"

His answer was a nod. "Ah. What a pleasant coincidence", Harry clapped his hands with a grin and Blaise noted with interest that his excitement was not faked. 'Such contrast from the slippery boy I initially met', Blaise mused. 'Does he even realize this transition?'

Harry slid open the door to find a thankfully empty cabin and he gently sat down on the seat by the right window while Blaise took the position in front of him. The Prefect flopped down beside him with all the grace of a female from a juvenile prison and promptly placed her legs on the seat beside Blaise. Blaise took one glance at the bare legs beside him before meeting the eyes of the pink haired girl. The look probably conveyed some sort of silent request or hidden embarrassment because the Prefect grudgingly returned her feet to the floor.

"If you don't mind me asking", Harry slightly twisted in his seat to face the girl. "Can I know your name? It's hard to constantly refer to you as 'the Perfect' or 'the pink haired girl' in my mind."

"Oh. You constantly think of me?" the said- prefect smiled suggestively while fluttering her eyelashes.

For his part and to her utter disappointment, Harry didn't even look mildly abashed. "Yes."

"Spoilsport", she pouted at the evident lack of a sputtering and madly blushing boy but assented with his request. "I'm Tonks."

"Just 'Tonks'?" This time it was Blaise who posed the question and judging by the expression on Tonks's face, Harry was not the only one to be surprised.

"Yes", she smiled thinly at Blaise, as though daring him to disagree and as expected, Blaise did not raise to the bait. But that didn't mean that Harry was wise enough to comprehend the glaring danger.

"You must have a first name, right?" Harry furrowed his brows, appearing every bit like a child who forgot his way home. In an act of camaraderie, Blaise attempted to warn the oblivious boy with a minute shake of his head but that only served to confuse the boy further. "You know like Celine or Hermione..."

She shifted her irritated glare to the green eyed boy but one look at the cute frown on his puzzled child-like visage, she relented with a sigh. "Even you won't roam around hollering your name when your oblivious mother names you, 'Nymphadora'. It must be some form of child abuse in the muggle world."

'It is not', Blaise thought but wisely refrained from mentioning it out loud.

"'Nym' doesn't sound so bad", Harry pointed out.

"Don't you dare."

"Well, what about 'Dora'?" Blaise interjected, all the while ignoring the poisonous gaze of Tonks. "You know, like the 'God's gift."

"It's settled then", Harry smiled broadly until he felt a hand on his head. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his head collided painfully with that of Blaise and Harry groaned in pain while clutching his bruised head in his hands. "Ow."

"Now this can be considered as child abuse", Blaise mumbled and was promptly silenced with another bonk on the head.

"I knew I should have left you brats to your own devices instead of acting like a responsible adult", Tonks huffed as she easily ignored the pained moans of the two first years beside her.

No one objected to her claims this time and a pleased smile formed on her face.

But that silence did not last long as the compartment door slid open and a determined blond haired girl entered the cabin, accompanied by a nervous brown haired girl. Not wasting a moment, she punched Harry on the shoulder before crossing her arms across her chest. "I was searching the whole train for you."

"Damn it! Stop hurting me, you ruthless women", Harry yelled before composing himself with great effort. "So was I. It's as though you vanished off the face of Britain."

"I was talking to your parents, you impatient idiot", she tried to hit him again but Harry swiftly ducked under the assault. "Unlike someone, I did not rush into the train without even looking back."

Harry immediately appeared contrite, though it was debatable whether the remorse was genuine or not. "Ah. The farewell did not go as well as I expected."

"I figured", she replied with a look and after being friends for nearly nine months, it was dangerously easy for Harry to understand what each look meant. To her perpetual indignation, she could not accomplish the same feat when Harry was concerned. For all his eternal innocence, Harry could be ridiculously enigmatic at times.

'She must have seen Evelyn then', Harry surmised and the ever-present smile abruptly left his face, leaving the people in the compartment to curiously ponder over what might have happened on the platform. But before they could blink, the smile was back on his face and he appeared apparently unconcerned. "So then, Daphne, you must have fathomed the reason behind my sudden disappearance and as such, the punch was unwarranted", his voice steadily rose into a shout as he rubbed at the sore spot on his shoulder.

"You always deserve a good punch", Daphne reasoned with barely a thought but to her rising dread, the smile on his face steadily grew into a smirk.

"Even in front of complete strangers who may or may not have already formed an impression about you?"

As though a switch had been flipped off, Daphne, who had just noticed the other occupants of the compartment, deflated like a punctured balloon and emulated her Pureblood persona with a speed that would've put the train to shame. But it was disappointingly futile as Tonks already had a playful grin emerging on her lips and Blaise was smirking in a way that could be considered as being highly entertained.

The glare Daphne sent his way could have burnt him thrice to ashes before scattering them to the blowing wind.

"I never knew that you had such a...vibrant side, Miss Greengrass", Blaise voiced in a tone that belied no emotion, as though he was merely reporting the news.

"I hope so, Black", Daphne smiled sweetly but her tone was anything but. It seemed that if there was one thing that Purebloods shared in common then it's their disdain for the Black family. "You Blacks are never good with such human emotions, are you?"

"You wound me with your words, Miss Greengrass". The intrigued expression left Blaise's face leaving a plain inscrutable marble in its place. "And it's Zabini."

Before the wordplay could escalate into any semblance of a fight, Harry swiftly interfered. "Not to interrupt your heartfelt chat but how do you know each other?"

"I had the distinct pleasure of being one of the few girls chosen by the Black family for a marriage contract", Daphne divulged without shifting her gaze from Blaise. "The political alliance did not come to fruition as my father refused and it was because he supposedly didn't possess the wits to grasp what was best for the Greengrass family to prosper."

"That was not my idea and those were not my words, Miss Greengrass", Blaise opposed with an annoyed wave of his hand. "You cannot possibly blame me, an eleven-year-old, for the actions of my elders."

Daphne's only answer was a visible huff.

"Definitely not the perfect way to meet someone but I don't understand why you people are throwing a tantrum", Harry commented apathetically and at sudden glares shifted his way, he lifted his hands in defeat. "Hey! Don't kill the peacemaker."

"Hello, Tracey", Harry greeted the withdrawn brown-haired girl but only received a tentative smile in return. Their acquaintance was limited to the few times when he met her at the Greengrass mansion but that did not prevent him from considering her as one of his friends. Sadly, the timid girl was not as 'happy-go-lucky' as him or that's how Daphne reasoned her friend's hesitant behavior. She was supposedly an excitable girl once you get to know her but Harry was still waiting for that fateful day.

"Why don't you girls sit down?" Tonks suggested after deciding that she had seen enough drama for today. It seemed that this year was going to be anything but boring. She took another glance at the green eyed boy who was nearly standing in his seat to enthusiastically observe the passing fields, with a few cows grazing on the grounds and tiny murky green ponds. Definitely not boring.

"Don't worry. I like girls who are wild", Tonks informed with a wink when Daphne grudgingly occupied the available seat beside her, while Tracey sat gracefully next to Blaise. That only served to embarrass Daphne further, producing a mirthful chuckle from Tonks, who seemed vaguely happy that at least someone in this weird group reacts normally.

The rest of the journey was uneventful or it was at least as normal as it could possibly be. The introductions led to another bout of chaos when Harry unconcernedly referred to Tonks as 'Dora' but that was the only instance when bodily harm was inflicted upon the occupants of the cabin.

Harry, who was having a nagging feeling at the back of the mind since he saw Tonks, cheered with glee when the answer finally struck his mind. Nymphadora Tonks was the full metamorphmagus Sirius told him about and now that it finally clicked in his mind, it seemed that everything was in plain sight for him to come to this conclusion without any necessity of exceptional deduction skills.

Though one could easily dye their hair, especially when they have magic at their disposal, the unnatural shade of bright pink with flecks of black in between was not the color one could obtain through simple means. His own hetero-chromatic hair was an undeniable proof of it (Now that he thought about it, someone should have glaringly pointed it out by now). The tanned face and the light blue eyes were something you usually notice in the wizarding world but it seemed as though each aspect of her face was normal in its own way but the blend all these seemingly normal aspects resulted in something truly peculiar and irrefutably beautiful. The immodest attire was bizarre on its own but what somebody would usually overlook was that her clothes did not appear to be designed to fit her body but the body was intended to fit the clothes. The dress abnormally hugged every curve of her voluptuous figure, turning and twisting at each joint but ultimately failing to loosen the tender embrace of her skin.

An imperfect perfection. That was the apt way to describe her.

At his delighted cheer at this insight, the five people turned to him but he waved off their concerns. It helped that he already formed a solid reputation for being mildly crazy and mightily bewildering.

Her help would be indubitably appreciable but since he was introducing himself with an alias, he might as well wing it until they reached the school. It was not as though they didn't have the whole year to meet and considering his penchant for attracting trouble, he was certain that she would be a part of whatever precarious situations he might find himself in.

After a time period that was too short to be significant but too long in his opinion, a voice reverberated through the train. "We'll be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry echoed the major thought running through minds of the people around him. "Shouldn't we be dressed in our school robes?"

That sent the occupants of the compartment into a frenzy, with each person blaming the other for the delay until Tonks did the thing she was actually supposed to do. Take control. "For god's sake, stop yelling like the immature children you are. We don't have the time to change into our robes, let alone argue in here."

The girls left to their respective compartments after that, leaving Harry and Blaise alone for the first time that day. "Ah. So peaceful."

Blaise accorded with a nod and they enjoyed the masculine silence for the precious few moments. By the time, they disembarked the train, shivering in the chilly winds of the night, the grounds were frighteningly desolate but within a few moments, they were joined by the three girls, who understandably appeared irritated.

"Don't be so nervous", Tonks placated after noticing their worried glances. "They wouldn't have gotten very far."

The passing comment of 'At least, I hope so', was heard by everybody and judging by the glare Daphne sent his way, it was definitely not the right thing to say at this time.

Numerous skeletal-like horse drawn carriages were visible under the dimly glowing lanterns that decorated the damp pathway and Harry could swear that most of them were staring at him with those creepy milky-white translucent eyes. He could sense a distinct tugging in his mind at their gaze but as he took a step forward hypnotically, while completely oblivious to his surroundings, he felt a rough yank at his collar that startled him out of the compelling trance.

He blinked up at the pink-haired owner of the intruding hand, secretly grateful but outwardly confused. "The first years should take the boats, pretty boy and if you do not leave now, I'm sure that you will have to take a long and exhausting swim in the bone-chilling black lake."

He nodded absentmindedly, entirely unmindful of Tonks's exasperated shake of her head at his lack of reaction, and the group of first years made their way down the steep, narrow path after conveying their farewells to the Prefect.

The narrow path opened at the edge of the Black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Luckily, the boats hadn't moved an inch, still floating on the gentle waves of the lake and a huge man with an unnatural beard shouted over to them. "What are yer kids doin' there? It's no time ta be dilly-dallyin'".

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to an empty boat by the shore. Harry replied with a reassuring wave of his hand, before gesturing enthusiastically to the three people behind him to board the tiny boat.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouted, who had a boat to himself. "Right, then… Forward!"

The fleet of boats simultaneously inched forwards, drifting along the lake, with its waters lapping at the edges of the boat. While everyone was staring at the humongous castle with something akin to wonderment, Harry was jolted of his stupor by something that seemed to be moving under the boat. He slightly inclined over the edge of the boat, staring into the inky unlit waters with fascination and though nothing was visible behind the surface of the water, he was wholly certain that something was staring back at him.

Tentatively, he glided his finger tips over the surface and to his genuine bafflement, a slimy appendage softly stroked the tips of his fingers. He was about to dip the fingers further in, when a hand pulled him back and his eyes met those of Blaise's which held a hint of concern. Harry smiled in return but by the time, he shifted his attention to the mystery beneath the lake, the creature was already diving deeper into the depths of the lake.

They were carried along a shadowy tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of an underground harbor, where they clambered out onto the rocks and pebbles. Blaise held out a hand for Tracey, helping her out of the boat and Harry tried to emulate him by holding out a hand for Daphne, who took one look at the hand before plainly ignoring it. Harry glanced back at Blaise who replied with his all-purpose shrug and Harry nodded sagely, as though he understood the meaning of life from that single shrug. Daphne who was concentrating on their queer exchange, with an exasperated look on her face that clearly conveyed, 'Hmph. Boys!', stumbled over a pebble and Harry generously caught her before she could bash her head on the stones.

"If you wanted a closer embrace, all you had to do was ask, Daph", Harry smirked as he steadied her. A light blush dusted her pale cheeks and just when he thought that he escaped the encounter Scot-free, she hit him on the shoulder with an inaudible mumble of 'idiot.' Blaise raised his eyebrows at the exchange but refrained from commenting.

Now that they were about to reach their final destination, the trek to the castle was filled with perturbed silence and though technically it was his second time taking this journey, Harry could not elude the tingles wracking his nerves. An unmistakable hoot of an owl reached his ears and a smile was already forming on his lips as he gazed up at the sky. Even in the shady darkness of the fog stricken night, it was ridiculously easy to identify the snowy white texture of his beloved owl and within moments, the said owl was swooping down to land on his shoulder. "Pleasant journey, Hedwig?"

He lifted his hand to gentle rub her beak but what he did not expect from her was to bite the offered hand. "Ow! Why would you even do that?"

An annoyed hoot. "Raining on the way? How would I even know that it could be raining on your flight route?"

A disgruntled hoot. "It might occasionally appear so but I am not omnipotent", Harry complained and gestured to the reopened wound on his hand, which started to bleed again. "See. Gods don't bleed, Hedwig."

If he ever had any doubt about an owl looking apologetic, Hedwig trashed the skepticism to oblivion with the way she was staring him with those wide, repentant amber eyes. "No, I am not angry, Hed. In fact, I am still getting over the fact that you can apologize."

She stroked his cheek affectionately with her beak and he turned to his friends, one of whom was understandably disturbed that he was conversing with an owl. "Hedwig, this is Blaise and Blaise this is my violent familiar, Hedwig."

Hedwig did not retaliate at that introduction, probably because she was still remorseful about her earlier actions and merely hooted in greeting at Blaise. While any other person with a meager amount of sanity left would have freaked out to hell by now, Blaise calmly albeit hesitantly nodded in return, once again proving that there were not a lot of things on this planet that could ruffle his feathers. Daphne's remark of 'You'll get used to it' must have helped too. One of things that was on the list of to-do things in his seven years of school was to produce a genuine and perceptible emotion from Blaise.

With the tension dissipated, Harry proclaimed the thought that was running rampant in his brain since they reached the castle. "Don't you think that it will be awesome if the floor opens up and swallows us whole? I thought that it was typical of magical castles to usually do such things."

The blood that was steadily trickling down his hands, landed on the ancient runes engraved on the stony floor below them and as the runes soaked up the magical essence of the blood, they emitted a greenish radiance. The glow swiftly slithered down to ensnare the interlocked rune circles and by the time the three teens above noticed it, the floor literally opened up and swallowed them whole.

Hedwig stared at the place where her owner previously stood and concluded that it must be one of those days when he wound randomly act like a moron for utterly no reason. Then she flew away to the owlery, wholly unconcerned because after living with him for a few days, even an owl could grasp the fact that the definition of normal was skewered out of proportion when Harry Potter was involved.

* * *

As they slid down the grimy tunnel, Harry's predominant thought was somewhat along the lines of 'Cooool' but the first thought that struck his mind couldn't even be considered as something coherent. It was lost somewhere between a girlish shriek and an exhilarated whoop. Regrettably, the same was not the case with his fellow companions.

His ears were still ringing from Daphne's shrill shriek and it appears that he had to cross one of the things from his non-existent to-do list. He was certain that he never heard Blaise shout so loud; even in his previous lifetime.

They landed in an undignified heap that could be aptly described as a tangled mess of arms and legs. He couldn't feel his legs and the cut on his hand must be leaking buckets by now. Daphne stood up with a not-so-lady-like groan and Blaise followed her with another pained cry. Harry miraculously jumped to his feet, only for his legs to buckle under the strain and he fell on his butt again but this time, he was sure that he must have broke something.

"Careful what you wish for", Blaise sighed and for once, Harry was extremely grateful that Blaise was impossible to anger. In his abundant relief, he forgot the aggressive girl standing behind him and that proved to a fatal mistake as she instantly punched him in the stomach.

"I told you", another punch, "not to do", a quick jab, "any more stupid things", she finished with an uppercut that left him bruised on the same floor he earlier found himself on.

"I regret the day I resolved to obtain a reaction from you", Harry winced as he stood back up. "Who would've ever predicted that you could be so violent."

"Don't make me hit you again." It was no wonder that the single statement silenced him.

"Though your actions are unarguably amusing, I am more concerned about finding an exit", Blaise interjected as he glanced around.

His voice betrayed him as he stared at the frightening chamber that encased them, with the walls coated with sludge and grime. The ceiling was too high for them to even comprehend the height but he could see huge brownish-black roots dangling from the top. The floor below them was crusted with dark green moss and at some places, he could swear that he noticed the shrubbery advance in their direction. The room was understandably unlit but their surroundings must be glowing ominously as he could catch sight of the monstrous shadows of themselves on the grimy walls. As they darted forward, each step echoed in the disturbing silence and it was evident that the only way out of here was the lone pathway at the end of the chamber.

As they reached the pathway he noticed that it was surrounded on both sides by foul water and then it him that this place might be adjacent to or under the Black lake. The putrid stench of decaying flesh reached him and he instinctively brought his hand to cover his nose but it was futile as the smell seemed to be unhampered by the obstruction. He vaguely perceived the blurry shape of a human and he hurried his steps but paused when felt a hand on his shoulder. Blaise shook his head in warning, "We don't know who that is. They could be dangerous."

His premonition came true as the person abruptly vanished before instantly appearing before them without a single 'pop'. Harry stumbled back in surprise and once again, to his secret vexation, landed painfully on his back. The distinct sound of bones cracking was clearly heard in the silence of the passageway and he tentatively jerked forward but to his inexplicable relief, nothing seemed to be broken in his body. Then that meant...he hastily rose to his feet, only to notice the entire pathway was littered with the bones of the animals, ranging from tiny rats to freaking cows. For the first time in his life, Harry was utterly speechless.

"How did you enter this place?" The woman uttered in a no-nonsense tone, completely disregarding the terrified expressions of the teens before her. Blue eyes scrutinized them with the speed of sound and at her incessant stare, Harry felt as though he was poked with a thousand needles all over his body. Judging by the shudder that wracked his other companions, he was not only one to sense the feeling. The blond hair flowing down her robed back was unmoving, even in the light breeze that glided in the vicinity and her deathly pale skin scarily contrasted with her pitch black surroundings. If not for the words that tumbled out of the gap between her luscious red lips, Harry would have believed that she must be the life-like statue of some founder.

"The floor opened up and swallowed us whole!" Harry yelled, without a shred of a doubt as he waved his hands in a wild indication of the floor swallowing them and to their amazement, she didn't twitch a little at his ridiculous claim.

"That's impossible. The blood runes engraved would not accept any…" Her gaze fell onto his bleeding hand and no one but Blaise noticed the slight widening of her eyes.

"Kill", the whisper emanated from somewhere behind the woman and Harry shifted to the side to gape at the entrance that the pathway led to. On the solid wall ahead, two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds. "Blood."

To his befuddlement, it appeared as though no but him heard the whisper and by the time, he could question the woman, she was already moving forward. "Follow me."

She led them through an adjacent tunnel at the end of the pathway and Daphne was the only person who was not occupied with any plaguing thoughts. "So, um...Are you a professor in here, miss?"

The woman replied without even glancing back at the query. "Indeed, Miss Greengrass. Your potions professor, to be exact. I'll introduce myself within a few moments after the sorting. If you do not coincidentally miss it, you'll be sure to know who I am."

Daphne nearly squeaked at the mention of her name and merely nodded in return, as though the nervousness left her tongue-tied. Blaise was quietly pondering over the reason for the widening of the woman's eyes at sight of the wound and the frightened shiver that suddenly shook Harry's body for no reason at all. He could almost feel the air saturated with barely restrained tension and the seemingly impenetrable mysteries that popped out at every corner of this castle. And this was before he was even sorted into a house!

'If she is the potions professor then what happened to the greasy haired git?' Harry furrowed his brows as he contemplated over this new piece of info. 'May be the Defense against Dark Arts? Then what position did Quirrel take? Voldemort surely won't settle for a measly muggle studies post.'

"If you don't mind my curiosity, can we know what you are doing in such a desolate place?" Harry posed with another shudder, after deciding that this silence was simply too suffocating. People could drown to death in such chilling silence.

"There are some valuable potions ingredients available here and it requires some... effort to obtain such rare components. Luckily, your Headmaster Dumbledore was generous enough to allow me to scour this place."

The woman halted her steps when they reached another chamber similar to the previous one but though it appeared ancient, the condition it was in was miles better than the eerie chamber they entered initially. 'Is the whole place under renovation?'

"Stand in the middle of the rune circle. I do not want you people to miss your sorting by taking the long route", she gestured at the system of seven circular engravings on the floor which were joined by one huge heptagon. Straight lines emerged from the circumference of each of the seven circles appearing every bit like rays emitted by the sun and all those numerous uncountable lines were connected to a giant circle that encased all other runes.

"We are not human sacrifices for any nefarious ritual, are we?" Harry joked but it went widely unappreciated as the occupants stared at him with something akin to exasperation. He simply raised his hands in defeat but not without a passing comment, "Tough crowd."

When they entered the heptagon, she lightly cut her finger before allowing the blood to slide into the groove of the outer most circle. A bright glow emanated from that spot, creeping into the encompassing runes through the connected joints and they watched fascinated as the glow rocketed to blinding levels before the very floor they were standing upon lifted into the air and steadily flew upward.

"Blaise", Harry called out without shifting his gaze from the woman below him. "Can you describe our lovely professor for me?"

"Well, she..." No matter how much he struggled Blaise couldn't form an image of the woman he had just observed and it was as though the answer was just within his reach but he couldn't move forward to grasp it. As he glanced once again at the blond haired woman, the answer suddenly appeared in his mind but before he could clutch it between his fingers, it craftily slipped through the gaps like dry sand of the desert. 'Frustrating indeed'.

"Can you, Daph?" Daphne merely shook her head, already appearing like she would faint if she was subjected to any more of this.

In an act of pure impulse, Harry combed the hair that was obscuring his burning lightening shaped scar to the side and smiled widely at the frown that appeared on the pale visage of the woman. 'Of course, you know who I am. But the real question is, how much of it do you truly understand?'

The last thing he saw was the runes altering into a bright red before the woman faded from sight. "How intriguing."

* * *

 **Author's note: Another late update. Tardiness became a bad habit and now, it's terribly hard to get rid of. Do not worry. I already have the next chapter halfway done and I will post it within a few days.**

 **So, How many of you expected that? If you truly did, you will know the answer to this particular question concerning this chapter. Who is 'The Woman'?**

 **Until next time. Signing off, Tony Samuels.**


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